Vestavia Hills Magazine, June/July 2021

WRIGHTS IN CAHABA HEIGHTS • ALEXANDRA STONE FLOWERS • THE MAN BEHIND PAPPAS’ GRILL

MOON TAXI’S LOCAL ROCK ROOTS VESTAVIA HILLS’ BEST WINNERS 2021 JUNE/JULY 2021 VestaviaHillsMagazine.com Volume Five | Issue Three $4.95

MOBILE MISSION

TONI VINES’ VISION OF MERCY STARTS WITH A BUS

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FEATURES

46

AT HOME WITH ALEX Alexandra Stone Flowers talks about her family farm, tablescapes and her passion for all things pretty.

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A MISSION OF MERCY Toni Vines has a vision to help break the cycle of poverty she grew up in, and it starts with a mobile grocery store.

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With spring comes the time for cleaning and home projects.

Here’s your guide to renovations, landscaping and other resources.

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PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

VESTAVIA HILLS’ BEST WINNERS

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13

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

arts & culture

13 Rock On: Moon Taxi’s Vestavia Hills Roots 20 Read This Book: Thought-Provoking Reads

schools & sports

21 Well Rooted: Family Roots Seven Generations Deep 28 Five Questions For: LPMS Principal Roger Dobnikar

food

& drink

in every issue 6 Contributors 7 From the Editor 8 The Question 9 The Guide 74 Out & About 78 Marketplace 80 My Vestavia Hills

29 Living Legacy: Meet the Man Behind Pappas’ Grill 36 Five Questions For: Crumbl Cookies

home

& style

37 Bold & Bright: Modern Flair in the Varma Home 44 In Style: Like Mother, Like Daughter

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contributors EDITORIAL

Alec Etheredge Nathan Howell Madoline Markham Keith McCoy Scott Mims Emily Sparacino

CONTRIBUTORS

Abby Adams Kathryn Bell James Culver Katie Doyle Mary Fehr Michelle Love Christiana Roussel Lauren Ustad

DESIGN

Jamie Dawkins Connor Martin-Lively Brittani Myers Kimberly Myers Briana Sansom

MARKETING

Darniqua Bowen Evann Campbell Jessica Caudill Kari George Rachel Henderson Rhett McCreight Tori Montjoy Viridiana Romero Kerrie Thompson

ADMINISTRATION Kristy Brown Hailey Dolbare Mary Jo Eskridge Daniel Holmes Kinley Johnson Stacey Meadows Tim Prince Brittany Schofield Savana Tarwater

Kathryn Bell, Photographer

Kathryn is a freelance photographer with a recent degree in art from the University of Montevallo. Her photography has led her to photograph presidential candidates and create fine arts work inspired by the classics.

She fancies herself a plant lady and enjoys the challenge of keeping rare and difficult plants alive and enjoys exploring Birmingham!

Katie Doyle, Writer

Katie is a 2006 Vestavia Hills High School grad and currently a social media manager by day, freelance writer by night. You can usually find her buried in a good book or checking out Birmingham’s ever-growing food and craft beer scene.

Michelle Love, Writer

A lifelong resident of Birmingham, Michelle has loved watching her city grow and writing about the new and exciting things it has to offer. She has spent the past eight years writing about the different businesses and people that make Birmingham so unique, including artists, restaurants and political/social issues. When she isn’t writing, Michelle can be found trying out new recipes in her kitchen while listening to classic rock music or reading a horror novel. She also loves spending time with her family, her dog, Moody, and her cat, Lola.

Lauren Ustad, Photographer

Lauren lives in Birmingham with her husband, Joe, their four children, and their 2-pound Yorkie they refer to as “Boobie.” She spends her professional time posing itty bitties and chasing little munchkins. In her free time you can probably find her slaving away at their most current renovation project or building Legos with her self-proclaimed super heroes.

Vestavia Hills Magazine is published quarterly by Shelby County Newspapers Inc., P.O. Box 947, Columbiana, AL 35051. Vestavia Hills Magazine is a registered trademark. All contents herein are the sole property of Shelby County Newspapers Inc. [the Publisher]. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without written permission from the Publisher. Please address all correspondence (including but not limited to letters, story ideas and requests to reprint materials) to: Editor, Vestavia Hills Magazine, P.O. Box 947, Columbiana, AL 35051.

Vestavia Hills Magazine is mailed to select households throughout Vestavia Hills, and a limited number of free copies are available at local businesses. Please visit VestaviaHillsMagazine.com for a list of those locations. Subscriptions are available at a rate of $14.95 for one year by visiting VestaviaHillsMagazine.com or calling (205) 669-3131, ext. 532.

Advertising inquiries may be made by emailing advertise@vestaviahillsmagazine.com, or by calling (205) 669-3131, ext. 536.

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from the editor

I

ON THE COVER

Mobile Mission

Toni Vines is moving forward spearheading a vision for a bus that will act as a mobile grocery store that will visit food deserts in the Birmingham area as a part of Mercy Deliverance Ministries.

Photo by Kathryn Bell Design by Connor Martin-Lively

I was driving through Cahaba Heights today and noticing just how many businesses I was passing—and just how many people own and work inside them. That also got me thinking about how many houses are in the neighborhoods behind them, and how it’s just one subset of Vestavia Hills.

Some days this city of ours feels very much like a small town, but others its population of 34,000-plus overwhelms me a bit by just how many people that really is. I find, though, with each issue of this magazine that number feels smaller and more intimate as I meet new people and get to share their stories.

This go-round that meant connecting with Terry Wright about his family’s history in Cahaba Heights now seven generations deep, and later talking with his granddaughter Lily Von Kanel about what that history has come to mean to her going to the same school where her mom and grandfather did.

It also meant sitting down to coffee outside with Toni Vines to hear the story of Mercy Deliverance Ministries and deep diving on the ministry’s website to learn about all they have done and been inspired to do in a short time. It meant a visit to the Varmas’ house and learning about how they ended up in Birmingham from Mumbai and New Dehli as their kids enthusiastically toured our photographer Lauren Ustad and me around their house. And it also meant that I’ve been craving cookies since I talked with the owners of the new Crumbl bakery opening in Vestavia City Center about their flavors and baking process.

Although technically freelancer writer Katie Doyle wrote about Moon Taxi and their Vestavia Hills roots, I too feel a certain sort of kinship with them as I listen to songs like “Two High” and “Morroco” knowing most of their band spent their high school years in the areas that are so familiar to me. Likewise, after reading Christiana Roussel’s profile on Alexandra Stone Flowers, it was like I too had sat down with her to talk about her family’s farm and relationships with one another, and her tips and tricks for entertaining.

I can’t even begin to list out all the people behind the businesses represented in our list of Vestavia Hills’ Best winners for 2021, but I hope as you look through them you make note of new local establishments you want to try and/or return to. Our community has a wealth of them we drive past every day—to bring this editor’s note full circle.

Thanks for reading, and I always love to hear ideas from you of who and what we should feature in future issues!

madoline.markham@vestaviahillsmagazine.com

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“ ” THE QUESTION

What’s the best part about summer in Vestavia Hills?

VSA - the summer swim team! The kids have so much fun at the swim meets, which will be even better at our new pool!

-Lilla Hood

We love the trails available at McCallum Park and Boulder Creek. My boys love being outside and being able to dip their feet in the water!

-Merideth Verhine

The Wednesday Farmers market!

-Kristen Thomas

Enjoying some Doodles while kids run around in the big grassy field there!

-Jessie Barnhill

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The smell of honeysuckle blooming and neighbors grilling out. Kids still chasing lightning bugs and the sounds of baseball at Wald Park echoing throughout the hills of Vestavia.

-Steve Bendall

Fresh produce from Andy’s and the Wald Park pool!

-Amy Chandler Simpson

Summer Reading at the library!

-April Moon

Lightning bugs and crickets!

-Natalie Haynes

THE GUIDE

VESTAVIA HILLS FARMERS MARKET WEDNESDAYS 10 A.M.-1 P.M. Scout Square, Highway 31 Shop local businesses and farmers’ selections of fruits, veggies, candles, flowers, décor and more at this weekly market.

Proceeds benefit support Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church’s Food Pantry. Learn more on their Facebook page.

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THE GUIDE WHAT TO DO IN VESTAVIA JUNE 1-6 Birmingham Barons vs.

Tennessee Smokies Regions Field JUNE 6 Vulcan’s 117th Birthday Bash Vulcan Park & Museum JUNE 12 2021 Birmingham Heart Walk Digital Experience

JUNE 19

Father/Daughter Tea 11 A.M. Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest Amphitheater Calling all dads and daughters! This annual event is back with an outdoor setting and only 25 spaces available, and the theme will be “Unicorns and Stardust.” Register by Thursday, June 17, so they can have your kit ready to pick up by Friday, June 18. Call 205-978-0158 or email Ms. April at april.moon@vestavialibrary.org to register. Find many more virtual library programs for kids, teens and adults at vestavialibrary.org too.

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JUNE 18-20 Euphonious Music Festival Birmingham Zoo JUNE 18-20 I’m With Mike Virtual 5K Presented by The Mike Slive Foundation for Prostate Cancer Research JUNE 22-27 Birmingham Barons vs.

THE GUIDE Pensacola Blue Wahoos Regions Field JUNE 29-JULY 4 Birmingham Barons vs.

Chattanooga Lookouts Regions Field JULY 9-AUG. 1* Summer Film Series Alabama Theatre *Select Dates JULY 10 Birmingham Legion vs Memphis 901 FC BBVA Compass Field

JUNE 24

JULY 13-18 Birmingham Barons vs. Rocket City Trash Pandas Regions Field

6-9 P.M. Wald Park

JULY 16-18 37th World Deer Expo BJCC Exhibition Halls

I Love America Night Kick off your celebration of our country early with free swimming at the new Wald Park Pool, sponsor booths, children’s activities, Pops in the Park concert and more at this annual event—this year at the newly renovated park. You can also join in on a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Grand Lawn at Wald Park. Find updates at @ILoveAmericaNight on Facebook.

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&CULTURE

ARTS

ROCK ON

Moon Taxi hasn’t risen too high to forget its Vestavia Hills roots.

BY KATIE DOYLE PHOTOS BY DON VANCLEAVE & CONTRIBUTED VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 13

M

Moon Taxi lead singer Trevor Terndrup will never forget the 2013 phone call to his parents telling them his band was going to be on The Late Show with David Letterman. “I know you guys have been patient with this, with me pursuing music,” he told them. “But like look at what’s happening now. That was a big, big moment.”

And for Trevor and his bandmates, there would be many other monumental moments to come.

Over the years, Moon Taxi has performed at

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coveted festivals across the country including Bonnaroo and Coachella and produced five fulllength albums. Their hit single “Two High” has amassed over 140 million plays on Spotify, revealing just how strongly listeners have latched on to the band’s unique mix of soul, folk and pop.

Although the band is based in Nashville, their story started in a Vestavia Hills High School gym class in the early 2000s. When Trevor’s father got a job at the University of Alabama at Birmingham,

they moved down to Vestavia Hills from upstate New York.

Trevor was just 15 at the time. Feeling the angst that comes with being the new kid, he turned to music to redefine himself.

“I didn’t have any friends at first, so I was just practicing nonstop. And then I met Tommy Putnam pretty early on in my stay there,” Trevor says. “We had gym class together. He was wearing a shirt of a band that I liked, and we just kind of started a conversation.”

That conversation turned out to be a pivotal one as 17 years later, the pair is still playing music together. After high school graduation in 2002, Tommy and Trevor moved to Nashville to attend Belmont University, where they met guitarist Spencer Thomson. Later on they would join up with keyboardist Wes VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 15

Three of the five members of Moon Taxi are Vestavia Hills High School graduates.

Bailey and fellow VHHS graduate drummer Tyler Ritter to form what Moon Taxi is today.

The rise from dorm jam sessions to sold-out crowds and television appearances is one Trevor and his bandmates do not take for granted. For them, the road to success has always been about building connections with their fans one show at a time. “You know some bands, they can make a demo in their bedroom and then they’re all of a sudden winning Grammys,” Trevor says. “That wasn’t our path. Our path was going out, putting on fun shows, and then word of mouth spreading.”

Their latest album, Silver Dream, was released in January of this year, and although it was written pre-pandemic, the reflective songs are a great companion to a time when many of us are looking to escape reality. Trevor describes it as the “weirdest album release we’ve ever had” and says it won’t feel real until he’s playing the songs on stage for fans: “We’re all about connecting with people in a live scenario, reciprocating their energy, and trying to figure out how to best present these songs...I really just can’t wait to get out and 16 June/July 2021

play live again.”

Silver Dream’s first single “Hometown Heroes,” was written about Trevor and Tommy’s Vestavia friendship and the bandmates’ journey to stardom together. The lyrics speak to a familiar dilemma we all face in adulthood: “One by one, they went their ways, some stay close and others fade away.”

However, when the song was released around the time that a tornado tore through Nashville in early 2020, the lyrics took on a new meaning for some listeners. “People started saying, ‘Is this song about neighbors helping neighbors after the tornado or is it about the frontline workers in the pandemic?’ And no, that wasn’t the intention, but it was kind of great that people applied the song to that situation.”

Another song off the album, “Take the Edge Off,” has an upbeat, laid-back feel upon first listen.

However, a closer inspection of the lyrics reveal a heartbreaking internal struggle far beyond a fun night out: “Feels like there’s miles and miles to go, wrestling the demons and fighting off ghosts.” The song was co-written by songwriter Busbee before

EUPHONIOUS MUSIC FESTIVAL THE BIRMINGHAM ZOO JUNE 18-20 Featuring: Moon Taxi Drew and Ellie Holcombe Sister Hazel Tonic & More In addition to live music, tech companies will be on-site offering interactive voice and AI experiences to attendees.

For tickets and FAQs, visit euphonious.ai

DYK? did you know?

We maintain more than 4,800 manholes in Shelby County.

If stacked on top of each other, they would reach the height of Mt. Everest, plus 31 football fields.

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he tragically passed away from brain cancer. “I just had the stupid idea of trying to write like a drinking song,” Trevor says.

“I was like, ‘Yeah you know, something to take the edge off.’

And he took it totally to a deeper level.”

Trevor has made the most of his quarantine days like many others, tie-dying and making bread. But he can’t wait to feel the electric energy of playing on stage again. The band is excited to return to Alabama this summer to play at Euphonious, a brand new music festival coming to the Birmingham Zoo June 18-20.

Trevor says he’ll always enjoy meeting VHHS graduates at live shows. “They’re like, ‘Hey, I went to Vestavia too. I graduated like 10 years after you. But we still love your band.’

So the connection is there, the connection to the school. It will never go away.”

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ARTS & CULTURE

READ THIS BOOK

ThoughtProvoking Reads Recommendations from

Elisabeth Burns

VHHS Freshman Campus English Teacher

As a child and teenager, I predominantly read fiction books, and I associated nonfiction with the dry, informational textbooks assigned in school. As an adult, I’ve developed a newfound love and respect for nonfiction, and I’ve learned that it can be as compelling as any novel while also being informative. Here are some of my favorite nonfiction reads that were not only engaging but also made me stop and think about myself and the world around me.

Being Mortal

by Atul Guwande Author and surgeon Atul Guwande examines the process of aging and the multiple ways that society aims to house and assist the elderly. He claims that old age is not a disease that can be treated, though modern medicine often treats it as such. As a result, this compelling book is must-read for people helping care for aging loved ones or for anyone interested in exploring what they want the last chapter of their life to hold.

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone

by Lori Gottlieb When Los Angeles psychologist Lori Gottlieb gets her heart broken by a romantic relationship gone awry, she finds herself shedding the title of therapist becoming a patient herself. She writes a relatable memoir about her journey helping her own patients—a Hollywood producer, an elderly woman looking for purpose, a terminally ill woman working at Trader Joe’s and a young woman who can’t pick a good man—while simultaneously seeking direction for her own life. You will laugh, you will cry and you will ponder how universal human needs connect us all.

Don’t Overthink It

by Anne Bogel Written for people who have a tendency to overanalyze and who struggle with decision making, Bogel gives practical advice for overcoming “analysis paralysis” through this easy-to-read and enjoyable book. She offers a decision-making framework that helps readers free themselves from the notion that decisions are “right” and “wrong,” and she challenges readers to examine their personal goals and values when they face choices, big or small. Accessible and relatable, this book will speak to the indecisive, and she caters her advice to women and mothers specifically.

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China

by Jung Chang Follow the true stories of three generations of women growing up in China in this gripping, sad, inspiring book.

You will not only learn about the life of the author, her mother and grandmother, but you will also experience a personal account of China’s Cultural Revolution and Mao’s rise to power. Don’t be daunted by the length of this book; it is an engaging way to learn about the history of a nation we think we know but may not fully understand.

Think Again

by Adam Grant No one enjoys being wrong, but author and psychologist Adam M. Grant argues that being wrong and seeking critical feedback only strengthen creativity and critical thinking. This text also asks readers to question dogmatic thinking and ponder why we believe what we say we believe. Though sticking to a particular ideology may be comfortable, this interesting text pushes audiences to rethink the “known” on both a personal and societal level.

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SCHOOL

&SPORTS

WELL ROOTED

Meet a family who can trace their history back five generations in Cahaba Heights’ elementary school.

BY MADOLINE MARKHAM PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 21

Lily Von Kanel, front left, with her siblings, parents and grandparents. She, her brother Scott, her mom Brittany and her grandfather Terry Wright all have gone to the elementary school in Cahaba Heights.

L

Lily Von Kanel knows firsthand that changing schools isn’t easy. She and her family moved to Cahaba Heights from Athens, Alabama, the week before she started fourth-grade in 2019, but she soon discovered that Vestavia Hills Elementary Cahaba Heights wasn’t just any new school, not for her family at least.

She had heard that her mom and her grandfather went to Cahaba Heights’ elementary school and that her great grandmother taught there, but she hadn’t yet learned just how far back her family ties went in the community, and remain today.

“I was very nervous, but with so many connections to the school, I was able to spark new conversations with new people,” Lily recalls. “It also helped knowing that my grandfather and mom had once

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gone to Cahaba Heights and they turned out all right, so I knew I was in good hands.”

Plus her grandfather Terry Wright—whom she and her two younger siblings call “T-Bone”—was driving the afternoon shuttle bus she and her brother rode to Vestavia Hills Elementary Liberty Park where her mom teaches. “I knew I would get to see my grandfather at the end of the day, and I could always count on him to brighten my day even if it wasn’t bright already, which is pretty rare at Cahaba Heights,” Lily says.

As Lily would soon learn from T-Bone, the Wright family goes back seven generations in Cahaba Heights, starting back in the 1870s when John and Amanda Wright moved from Benton County (now Calhoun County), Alabama, and settled in an area

Terry Wright drives a school bus two of his grandchildren ride. Here he is pictured with his daughter-in-law Haley, a teacher at Cahaba Heights, and granddaughter Lily.

near where Highway 280 intersects the Cahaba River today. Their son Jesse would go on to work for Birmingham Water Works in New Merkel, what is today called Cahaba Heights. Jesse’s son Otis (pictured with his family on page 21 and on page 27)—Lily’s great-great grandfather—helped build the New Merkel School building in 1924, and later during the Great Depression he and other residents of the community rallied together to build additional classrooms onto the building.

Not only that but Otis served as the equivalent of what is now a School Resource Officer at the elementary school his eight children attended. His second youngest, William, was born in a house where Cahaba Pharmacy now sits and worked in his Uncle Jack’s hardware store, Wright & Son, the predecessor to what is Cahaba Heights Hardware today—living out stories he’d later tell his son Terry and that Terry would tell his granddaughter Lily.

Back when Terry’s grandfather was growing up,

New Merkel was a blue collar community, and by 1953 the principal at the elementary school wanted to change the name of the school, and area, to improve its reputation. That’s when the name Cahaba Heights came about. The area had never been incorporated, so only the school officially had to change its name and the community unofficially followed suit.

As Lily’s great-grandfather William Wright would say toward the end of his life when Vestavia Hills was looking to annex the area, “I was born in New Merkel, I raised my kids in Cahaba Heights, and I hope I die in Vestavia Hills.” And indeed he did.

Cahaba Heights was his home for his entire life, and he and his wife, Rosemary, lived in the house they purchased in 1968 until they both passed away.

Today Terry and his wife, Phyliss, live in that same house where he was raised, and Lily and her family live only a block down the road.

In Terry’s memories growing up and raising his VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 23

THE WRIGHT FAMILY TREE Jesse and Betty Wright, Terry’s great-grandparents, with their family in 1915

John & Amanda Wright Born 1825

Jesse & Betty Wright 1855 -1943

Otis & Lillian Wright 1899 – 1991

William & Rosemary Wright 1928 – 2007

The original Cahaba Heights School building

Terry & Phyliss Wright 1958-

Brittany

Ben & Haley

& Brent

Wright

VonKanel

1991-

1985Beau Lily, Scott & Ruby Von Kanel 2009-

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2020-

two children, Brittany and Ben in Cahaba Heights, the school was always at the center of the community. Cahaba Heights never had a downtown of any sort, and the only public buildings were the school and churches. There was only ever one school, so that’s where town meetings were held. Life revolved around both it and the baseball fields. Each year one of the biggest days was the parade through the community on the opening day of baseball season.

Over the decades he’s lived in Cahaba Heights, Terry says traffic has picked up after The Summit was built and holes in roads that had sat for decades have been filled in. Businesses have come and gone, what is now Heights Village shopping center has been remodeled, Miss Myra’s is now where Gray’s Store once stood, and Starbucks sits in the same spot as

V.J. Elmore’s five and dime store. Town meetings are no longer held at the school since Cahaba Heights has been part of a larger city, Vestavia Hills, since 2002, and the baseball parade is no longer what it was. But what hasn’t changed, Terry says, is the communitymindedness of the school, its deep roots and the involvement of parents.

And now that’s something Terry sees firsthand each day. Terry started driving a school bus for health insurance benefits after he left his job at Bellsouth in the 1990s and started his own business. He’s now semi-retired, but still enjoys driving a bus, especially since he now has Lily and Scott riding as passengers with him after school every day. When COVID-19 arrived last year, the Vestavia school system needed staff to take on extra roles with PPE and delivering lunches to

Terry Wright, sixth from the left on the front row, was on the Safety Patrol for the school.

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Terry Wright’s parents Rosemary and William

classrooms each day. Terry got assigned to Cahaba Heights, which meant got to see his grandkids and daughter-in-law Haley Wright, who teaches fourth grade at the school, every day at school.

“It is a little odd to deliver lunches to Ms. Barnes’ second-grade class that was Ms. Glasper’s fifth-grade class I was in,” Terry says.

“It’s now 2021, and I was here in 1968.” He also gets to deliver meals to Scott’s second-grade classroom that was his mom Brittany’s kindergarten classroom and Terry’s sixth grade science classroom—on the same hall where Brittany’s grandmother, Jean Milstead, taught kindergarten. Talk about full circle!

The significance of it all is not something taken lightly by Lily’s mom Brittany Von Kanel, who met her husband, Brent, at Philadelphia Baptist Church in Cahaba Heights, which is also where her dad Terry met her mom Phyliss. “I never dreamed I’d be living in Cahaba Heights again, and it certainly never crossed my mind that my kids would make five generations of the Wright family to pass through the elementary school,” she writes. “The history my family has in this community has always been special to me, but it’s even more precious now that I’m raising my kids here.

“I love that my kids walk the same school hallways, learn in the same classrooms and even have some of the same teachers I had as a student. I love that there are current faculty members that taught with my grandmother. I love that my kids get hugs from their Aunt Haley throughout the day. I love that my dad is my kids’ bus driver every afternoon to bring them from Cahaba Heights to Liberty Park, where I teach. The blessing of my family’s history and connections in Cahaba Heights is not lost on me. I’m thankful for it every day.”

Terry Wright’s grandfather Otis served as the equivalent of a modern-day school resource officer for the elementary school in Cahaba Heights.

VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 27

SCHOOL & SPORTS

5

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR

Roger Dobnikar

Liberty Park Middle School Principal PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

Roger Dobnikar’s whole career has been in Vestavia Hills Schools system. He’s been a part of the Liberty Park Middle School as its assistant principal since its earliest days back in 2008, and his roots in Vestavia Hills go back to the 14 years he taught eighth-grade English at Pizitz Middle School too. This past school year he stepped into a new role at the helm of Liberty Park Middle as its new principal, so we chatted with him as he wrapped up this year—certainly an unprecedented one in many ways.

What part of your job are you most passionate about?

I enjoy sitting down and working with teachers trying to solve problems. We collaborate ideas back and forth on how How have you seen the strengths of to best serve our students. This past year the Vestavia system not just as an with COVID we had to come back to the educator but also as a parent? drawing board several times, and our I think one of the strengths of Vestavia teachers did a great job serving these is that they care about the whole child kids. We had to figure out how to design and the unique child. It’s not a cookie programs for our remote students, and cutter pattern system, but we look for we tweaked our schedule to give teachers needs individual kids have and tailor more time with remote systems. We are programs for those kids. We are invested constantly looking at new ways to tweak What makes the culture at this school in trying to figure out what our kids our programs to give kids the best need. Having three sons that have come advantage. unique to you?

We are a very small school with around through the system, I was able to 500 students and compete against schools experience that through them and the that are two and three times our size. We programs so they were ready to face the What are we likely to find you doing offer every program and every sport, and real world when it came. For example, outside of the school?

I enjoy my family and being with my we have worked hard over these past 13 my oldest son had an opportunity to years to compete with those big schools. create a business and market it and get grandchildren. That’s my number one Our kids know it takes extra dedication an understanding of how the market thing outside of school. I also like to read and am a sports fan. and commitment. This year our eighth- worked through a class. grade boys won Metro South in boys You started serving as assistant principal at LPMS back when it first opened. What memories stand out from the first few years as being a new school?

In 2008 we opened with not even half of our school building ready and were crammed into a fourth of the building.

The choir room served as a make-shift office, and the lunchroom was in the gym.

We were new and didn’t know each other, and that made us become close from the start.

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basketball. We have a student in Math Counts who has qualified for the national competition. It feels like we are making great strides all the time.

&DRINK

FOOD

LIVING LEGACY

To get to know what Pappas’ Grill’s Greek is all about, look no further than Greg Pappas himself.

BY MICHELLE LOVE PHOTOS BY MARY FEHR VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 29

G

Greg Pappas is Pappas’ Grill. Since the restaurant opened in 1992, he has been the sole owner, chef and recipe tester in the restaurant’s storefront off Highway 31. While he says his wife, Pat, and his son help prep in the mornings, from the moment the door opens to when they close, guests will find Greg behind the counter running the show and serving fresh, made-to-order Mediterranean dishes.

“It’s consistent,” Greg says. “I’m the one that’s cooking everything. You don’t have one shift doing this or another one doing that, it’s me. If I’m not here, we’re closed.”

Greg’s kitchen days started at Sneaky Pete’s where hot dog enthusiasts may know him from his time running the Eastwood Mall location from 1974 to 1986. After leaving Sneaky Pete’s and managing another local restaurant, Greg decided he wanted to open his own place. A friend was selling a spot in a small shopping center in the

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middle of Vestavia Hills, and Greg jumped on the opportunity. Pappas’ Grill was born in October 1992, and they’ve been operating in the same location ever since.

All of his menu items came from family recipes or are originals inspired by classic Greek dishes.

The love Greg has not just for Greek cuisine but also the country itself is obvious when you walk inside. The restaurant is adorned in blown-up photographs of Greg and his family on their trips to Greece, so you can feel like you are eating roasted leg of lamb on a Greek shore or tasting a Greek salad on a busy market street. Even as we conducted this interview, he was wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the Greek flag. “It’s in my blood,” he says.

Greg says he has always wanted to do serve Greek food too. “I originally thought I was going to make a hot dog stand out of this place, but I wasn’t doing hardly any business,” he says. “Once

Greg Pappas opened Pappas’ Grill in 1992 and has worked in the kitchen there virtually every day they have been open since then.

VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 31

a week at Sneaky Pete’s they ran a special of pastitsio, which is a Greek lasagna, and that was a really good lunch shift for them. So, I said to myself, ‘That’s the only time they’re really doing any business is when they do the Greek lasagna,’ so I took out everything here that I had hot dog wise and I started doing pork kabobs, chicken, pastitsio. Then every so often I would add something else to the menu.”

32 June/July 2021

After 30 years in business, the menu now features an assortment of Greek classics from everyone’s favorite gyro to prime rib, a Thursday night special. Classics like pastitsio and moussaka are always a big hit too.

In the kitchen you’ll find a fryer, flattop grill, char grill, an oven and a convection oven, which is where Greg makes his famous Greek-style snapper and his Friday nights roasted leg of lamb special.

The restaurant’s walls share photos from the Pappas family’s trips to Greece.

We work tirelessly to help kids get well because the world needs to see what Natalie dreams up.

WE DO WHAT WE DO BECAUSE CHILDREN HAVE DREAMS.

The space to a degree limits what new menu items are added though. “The way this place is set up, I’m the only one cooking so there’s just so much that I can do, so I have to think long and hard about whether or not I can get this particular thing out,” Greg says. “Once I think about that, that’s when I add it to the menu. You know, can I get it out fast and still top quality?”

What about hiring kitchen help? Greg is adamant about the answer to that question: “People ask me why I don’t get somebody in here and train them and stuff like that so I can go on vacation or whatever, and I always say I’ve worked too hard to build this. I don’t want somebody to destroy it in two weeks, which can happen.”

And so each day Greg arrives at the restaurant at 8:30 in the morning, if there are no catering orders, and stays till 8:30 at night five days a week. They just started closing on Saturdays two years ago and are closed on Sundays. “Sixty-five hours, five days a week is enough,” he says with a laugh.

You can also get a taste of Pappas’ at the Greek Food Festival in downtown Birmingham each year as they donate approximately 70 gallons of tzaziki sauce.

1 6 0 0 7 T H AV E N U E S O U T H BIRMINGHAM, AL 35233 (205) 638-9100

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VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 33

34 June/July 2021

GREG PAPPAS’ FRESH PICKS Favorite menu item: The lamb and the snapper are the two dishes that I’m really proud of. With the snapper, to give it a real Mediterranean flair, I love to top it with fresh onion, tomato and feta cheese with olive oil, and then I bake it off.

Menu items made ahead of time: Pastitsio, the moussaka, grape leaves and spinach pie.

What makes it fresh: Greek food is healthy. There are no preservatives in it, and everything we cook is fresh.

We don’t freeze anything and if you order a whole pan of pastitsio, you have to give us a day’s notice because we make it from scratch fresh to order.

Though they were impacted by the pandemic, Greg says they never stopped feeling the support of their community. “Our customers are so loyal,” he says. “They did everything they possibly could to help us get through all of this, and we are so appreciative of it. They bought gift certificates and (placed) a lot of to-go orders, and it really helped us get through this.”

Greg says the majority of their COVID sales loss came from a lack of catering orders. “As far as inside the restaurant, it was hectic because it was all to-go orders, and it was twice the work trying to get all the food out,” he recounts. As of our interview in April, though, business was starting to pick back up, and Greg was looking forward to seeing so many of his regulars return for dine-in service.

Come pandemic or any other storm life might send his way, Greg says you will always find behind him the counter of Pappas’. “People ask me when I’m going to retire, and I always tell them Elmwood is my next stop,” he says with a chuckle.

“I’ll be back there cooking with my walker someday, and my only worry will be getting grease on my tennis balls.”

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FOOD & DRINK

5

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR

Rebecca Dickey

Crumbl Cookies Owner PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

If you have a hard time resisting warm, fresh-baked cookies, watch out for future drives down Highway 31. Crumbl Cookies will soon be serving them up from a storefront in the Vestavia City Center next to TrustCare in the building adjacent to Panera Bread. On the day we typed this article, the weekly cookie flavors in rotation were Oatmeal Raisin, Muddy Buddy (a peanut butter cookie topped with melted chocolate and muddy buddy pieces), Cosmic Brownie (topped with fudge glaze and cosmic rainbow bits) and Cinnamon Swirl (topped with cinnamon sugar and cream cheese frosting), all complete with tempting images on crumblcookies.com. The bakery is planning to open in early June and stay open for late-night cookie cravings (Monday-Thursday 8 a.m.-10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 8 a.m.-midnight). To learn more we chatted with the co-owner of the Vestavia Hills operation.

What’s the story behind the Crumbl concept?

Crumbl was started by two cousins who tasted hundreds of cookies and came up with the perfect chocolate chip cookie.

Their mission is to bring family together around the world’s greatest box of cookies.

It started with one store in Logan, Utah, almost four years ago, and they started booming and getting a big response and decided to franchise.

booming right now. We liked what was happening with the City Center and the community feel there.

Tell us more about the cookies themselves.

We sell gourmet cookies and Crumbl Cream ice cream in the summer. There are six cookie flavors that will rotate each week and more than 150 total flavors, and we will always have a warm chocolate chip and a chilled sugar cookie. The cookies are How did you discover it, and why did huge, about a 5-inch, and are soft. There is you decide to open a Vestavia Hills nothing frozen about them. They are served warm, and we mix the cookies right location?

My husband, Jason, and I visited the there in front of you. first Crumbl store in the Southeast in Tennessee and fell in love with the store What are some of the rotating flavors and the concept. There are now more than and anything else we should know 150 locations, and when we were first about the menu?

We have Biscoff Lava, Nutella Mudslide, talking to them 16 months ago, there were Strawberry Pop-Tart, Peanut Butter and only 60-something. We wanted to bring it Jelly, Chilled Twix, Cake Batter, Funfetti, to Birmingham, and the Vestavia market is 36 June/July 2021

Snickers—all sorts of yumminess. Around the holidays we have flavors like pumpkin.

We post the flavors of the week each Sunday on our national social media account @crumblcookies and website.

You can get a single cookie, four pack, six pack or a dozen all in our signature pink box. The four-pack box is the most popular.

What does the inside of the bakery look and feel like?

It’s an open bakery style, and you can come in and watch the bakers bake. It’s been called the Apple store for cookies, and the inside has clean lines and a techy feel. The design is all pink and white and black. We have a great curbside app that was developed in COVID, and we also do delivery. If you download the app, you get a free cookie when you come into the store the day after our opening date in June.

&STYLE

HOME

BOLD & BRIGHT

The colors of India and modern flair have made the Varmas’ home their own.

BY MADOLINE MARKHAM PHOTOS BY LAUREN USTAD VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 37

T

The first time Kavita and Rakesh Varma saw the brick house they call home, they already owned it.

The couple was moving to the Birmingham area from Pittsburg three years ago and knew they had to act fast when a house went on the market. They wanted to be in Vestavia Hills, close to their jobs in the UAB area, and after a Facetime tour with their realtor, David Spurling of RE/MAX Southern Homes, of one overlooking the Samford campus with an open feel in the interiors that caught their eye, they put in an offer on it from afar. Now three years later, their family has made it their own.

The house was built in 2000 and had a more traditional feel overall, so the couple wanted to bring more of a contemporary flair to it as well as the bold colors they’d both grown up with in India.

Kavita is originally from New Delhi and Rakesh from Mumbai, and they both were physicians in India before moving to the U.S., where they had to retake exams and go through fresh training before practicing here, she as a pathologist and he as an intervention radiologist.

38 June/July 2021

To bring in their own style, Kavita and Rakesh ordered statement-making modern crystal chandeliers online from Sofary to add pizzazz to their two-story entryway as well as their dining room and breakfast room. Working with contractor Vance Ballard of B&B Construction, they also selected a new serene color palette for their walls and had a contemporary set of panels placed over their fireplace. To top it all off, they incorporated more modern furnishings from stores like Scandinavian Gallery in Hoover and West Elm. Today whenever visitors enter the home, they comment on the positivity, the openness and the warmth of the space—which is always accompanied with a hospitable welcome from not only Kavita and Rakesh but also from their children, Riya and Riaan, who will be eager to show you around their home with smiles and laughter. The welcome is rivaled only by the experience if you catch it at day’s end for a sunset view or on the Fourth of July to see the fireworks over Vulcan—scenes of their new city the family loves to savor with one another.

Back Deck The family decided to buy this swing for their back deck from Wayfair after COVID began, and it quickly became their kids’ favorite spot. Not pictured: the views over Samford University and even to Vulcan from the deck.

VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 39

Living Room To add contemporary flair to this central room in the home, the Varmas had the fireplace covered in white panels with a wavy texture. They also added a couch and red cubes from Scandinavian Gallery to the space, and at night they shine different colored lights on the fireplace using filters.

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Den This casual living space off the kitchen features a leather couch from West Elm.

VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 41

Dining Room The artwork in this space shows off not only the colors of India but also the meaning of its festivals, like Diwali, the festival of lights. It pairs with an equally colorful rug and a sleek black table and chest from Scandinavian Gallery in Hoover.

42 June/July 2021

Breakfast Room This room off the kitchen offers views of the city of Birmingham from its many windows, and light streams into the space and its crystal chandelier.

Entryway The Varmas’ guests are greeted by this cascading spiral raindrop chandelier when they enter the home.

VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 43

IN STYLE

Like Mom, Like Daughter 1

BY ABBY ADAMS PHOTOS BY LAUREN USTAD 2

FOR MOM 3 4

1. SAND STRIPE MAXI DRESS Pack this dress for your next beach trip.

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2. PEARL FLOWER EARRING This staple summer earring will fun up any outfit.

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3. INITIAL NECKLACE An initial makes a piece of jewelry extra personal.

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4. CROCHET HOBO BAG Pom poms add extra personality to this bag.

Cradle + Bee | $79

5. KRISTEL WEDGE What’s summer without a white wedge?

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44 June/July 2021

FOR DAUGHTER

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As if this fabric weren’t cute enough, the cut and ruffles on this romper make it a stand out.

Gigi’s Tween | $77

2. INITIAL LOCKET NECKLACE Initial necklaces are timeless at any age.

Gigi’s Tween | $16

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Add this accessory to any outfit this season.

Gigi’s Tween | $30

4. STRAW SANDALS This is a must-have sandal for the summer.

Little Soles | $46

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46 June/July 2021

At Home with Alex

Alexandra Stone Flowers talks about her family farm, tablescapes and her passion for all things pretty.

BY CHRISTIANA ROUSSEL | PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 47

Alexandra Stone Flowers with her husband, Christian

Creativity and entrepreneurship have deep roots in the family where Alexandra Stone Flowers and her sister Fallon grew up. Their parents, Deborah and Russell Stone, raised their girls to trust their instincts, follow their dreams, love deeply and share their talents. For Alex, that has meant joining forces with her mother in the family business of Stone Hollow Farmstead. At their Harpersville farm, they raise goats, chickens, ducks, the occasional turkey, flowers and a multitude of crops. The majority of these fruits, vegetables and herbs find their way into weekly Community Supported Agriculture (CSA, see sidebar) boxes that customers pick up each 48 June/July 2021

Tuesday from the SHF Farmstead location at Pepper Place. What isn’t enjoyed immediately is either pickled or preserved to be savored later.

Additionally, many of the herbs are included in botanical skincare products, under the Botaniko skincare line.

All of this natural beauty and creativity come through Alex in her passion for pretty things and entertaining, in ways that guests—both in one of their two storefront locations and at her Vestavia Hills home—feel welcomed, relaxed and cared for.

Her role at SHF and Botaniko allows her to channel and share these gifts. Her purview runs the gamut, from buying home goods for the stores, developing

Alex’s Rules for Setting the Perfect Table u1. The first rule of entertaining is always to have fun. As host or hostess, your attitude sets the mood for the event. When you are relaxed and ready to have a good time, your guests will immediately feel that and follow suit. u2. Lively conversation is key to any good gathering. Once you’ve assembled your guest list, think about your seating arrangements and don’t be afraid to mix things up a bit! Alex likes to think in terms of conversational-triangles so that there is more engagement between guests. This is as important with old friends as it is with folks just getting to know one another. u3. When adding florals or greenery, or even candles, to the table, ensure that your guests can still make eye contact with one another across the table with ease. No one wants to peer around the hydrangea blooms to engage in conversation. u4. Limit using scented candles to areas without food–like the entry way or powder room. Red Currant smells divine in the living room, but next to a platter of poached fish, it can be off-putting and distract from all the thoughtful preparation. u5. Stock up on entertaining pieces and food items. The Farmstand at Pepper Place carries a wide-variety of entertaining pieces and home goods designed for easy and elegant entertaining– from cheeseboards to salt cellars, chargers to serving bowls. And if you are the guest needing a hostess gift, there is lots to choose from too. “Our marinated goat cheeses, pickled asparagus or bloody Mary mixes are go-to’s that everyone enjoys,” Alex says.

VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 49

branding and marketing strategies to visually styling each location to best showcase what they bring to market.

Just as the farm serves as inspiration and laboratory for their comestibles and cosmeceutical products, the home she shares with her husband, Christian, is where Alex practices the art of entertaining. “Having grown up in a family of entrepreneurs, weeknight dinners were anything but traditional,” she says. “It was on regular weekend trips to the beach where my family would gather, slowing down enough to make our time together really special.”

Deborah has long been known as a terrific cook, updating and perfecting recipes that have been passed down for generations. Russell is an avid fisherman and would routinely bring in seafood from days spent out on the water. The table is where the gifts of the kitchen and the sea would come together, later afternoons rolling into evenings spent telling stories and connecting with one another. Alex recalls those tablescapes fondly, “At the beach, we would gather massive shells from which we would serve appetizers and then use palm leaves and seagrass to line and decorate the table.” From an early age, Alex knew to use all

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50 June/July 2021

Alex’s Tips to Create the Perfect Floral Arrangement u1. Choose a vessel that you can fill easily. It doesn’t have to be massive to stand out! u2. Select a focal flower – this is your show stopper. Depending upon the size of your arrangement, this variety can be repeated throughout, using more than one stem.

SHF grows a large variety of dahlias, and when they are in bloom, you can guarantee, these are the show stoppers in every arrangement. u3. Add supporting cast members (also known as filler), even greenery you forage from your own backyard. Cast iron leaves or elaeagnus branches are easy choices.

Fresh herbs also make good filler in arrangements where their scent is complementary to the chosen flowers. u4. Sometimes less is more. This is especially true if your vessel is the focal point. An antique silver bud vase needs nothing more than a single stem to be special.

VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 51

I always loved making things look, smell and feel beautiful. As I’ve gotten older, my appreciation for details has only grown.

-Alexandra Stone Flowers of our senses when she ate. “I always loved making things look, smell and feel beautiful. As I’ve gotten older, my appreciation for details has only grown.”

When entertaining at home, Alex follows a few simple rules. For setting the table, “I love layering texture and adding life to something. I incorporate both in almost all design moments in my life, using a lot of linen and flowers everywhere.” She has found a true life partner in Christian who, when not practicing law, enjoys spending time outside with Alex, riding horses at the farm and entertaining friends and family. As for her decorating style, she laughs, saying “While Christian also has an appreciation for design and cooking, he teases me that everything in our life is furry, woven or ruffled.”

These textures underpin her aesthetic but at a deeper level that allows guests to also relax into the unstuffy style: “I always want my guests to feel like if they spill a glass of red wine, it is not the end of

52 June/July 2021

the world. That is why I like linen so much. It feels a little lived in and comfortable.”

While it is always fun to buy new things, it is just as enjoyable to incorporate vintage or found treasures into a welcoming tablescape. Alex shares this affection for antiques with her mother. “My mom and I joke that we have always been ‘journey people’ – we live for the adventures that come with travel and exploring new places and spaces. I grew up doing show jumping dressage, and we would be on the road a lot. We would turn a four-hour drive into an all-day trip, stopping at all the antique stores on the way to our destination.” Collecting pretty and useful things was just one activity they did together. “Mom and I have collected so many vessels and serving pieces that I love. Almost every single one comes with a fun story about how we found it and why it is special to us. Those are great conversation starters at a dinner party!”

A Mission of Mercy

Toni Vines has a vision to help break the cycle of poverty she grew up in, and it starts with a mobile grocery store.

BY MADOLINE MARKHAM | PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 53

To the outside eye, it’s a yellow school bus. But to Toni Vines, it’s a grocery store, or it soon will be—once it’s been retrofitted with shelving and refrigeration and filled with fresh produce, frozen meats and staple goods.

At that point, the mobile oasis will travel to communities in Birmingham that are considered food deserts and offer price points based on income level.

And that’s not all. The Mercy Deliverance Ministries bus will have a sister mobile health clinic operating alongside it, and community members will be able to sign up for a doctor’s appointments when they come for groceries.

The back story on Toni’s vision for Mercy Deliverance Ministries is a long one, all rooted in her own story and spiritual journey. And it starts 54 June/July 2021

where she grew up not far from Ensley and Wylam where the food bus will soon be stopping.

Toni was born to a 14-year-old mother in northwestern Jefferson County and raised by her grandparents. Growing up, she always had food to eat but also knew the taste of poverty full well. She’d visited cousins, one a neurosurgeon and the other a registered nurse, in summers, and saw another quality of life, and by the time she was a teenager had dreams to attend medical school. But they were derailed when she herself gave birth to a daughter at age 16.

Toni Vines, pictured on right, and the Mercy Deliverance Ministries team commissioned the school bus that will soon be a mobile grocery store this spring before it was sent to be retrofitted.

“God’s grace and mercy showed up and I chose life for my first born,” she says today. “Giving birth to this new life inspired and anchored me…

“With this little baby in my hands, I was determined to break this cycle of poverty, so she didn’t have to grow up the way I did.”

Not knowing her father and not living with her mother as a child, Toni had always asked why. Why were her grandparents her parents? Why did they live the way they did? Today she has more answers to those questions as she can draw parallels between her journey and that of Moses in the Old Testament of leaving the areas and culture she grew up in so one day she could come back to them. “You had to grow up in poverty so you could understand that system, and I would bring you out so you could go back and bring other people out,” Toni says of God’s plan for her life.

And indeed each step she took from age 16 on would ultimately lead back to where she started, this time with a bus. “There’s a poverty mindset that has to be broken,” Toni says. “We are determined to

educate and break that.”

After giving birth to her daughter, Toni would go on to finish high school, join the military, enter a marriage that would come to an end and work fulltime in retail banking—what she calls a “seven-year cycle of consequences” that she would end at age 21.

But the next season would bring a new marriage to her husband, Tim (which is currently in its 30th year), a nursing degree and career in an HIV/AIDS Infectious Disease Clinic, two more daughters, and “a continued cry to God for answers,” she says.

But before those two daughters were born, she began to write down ideas she says God was giving her in prayer, prayers that would sit in a journal until the end of 2018 when Toni says God told her to go find those prayers and start praying over them.

That’s when her vision for Mercy Deliverance Ministries started to come into being. “Through prayer time and reading my Bible, He gave me what the logo and the colors will look like,” she says. “It was all birthed out of prayer and my relationship with the Lord.”

VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 55

GET INVOLVED WITH MDM Find more information on these opportunities and Mercy Deliverance Ministries news at mercydm.org or @mdmgodslove on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Volunteer. Help provide fresh food options and health and wellness services to those in need. Find their volunteer application form on the website.

Donate. Often people have a heart to serve, but not the time. A gift can express your values, heart and compassion to serve others.

Corporate Sponsorships. If you are a corporate business and feel that your company values align with the mission of Mercy Deliverance Ministries, they’d love for you to partner with them through corporate sponsorship.

The name had come to her back in 2007 during a Bible study though. ”The Holy Spirit spoke to me that my passion was ‘deliverance’ and confirmed my gift of ‘mercy,’” she says. And her vison for the ministry is rooted in those words: “The concern for the physical as well as spiritual need of those who are hurting is covered by the gift of mercy. Those with this gift have great empathy for others in their trials and sufferings. They are able to come alongside people over extended periods of time and see them through their healing process. They are truly and literally the hands and feet of God to the afflicted.”

It was in Hawaii of all places, though, that she first began to actualize this vision. When her middle daughter graduated from Vestavia Hills High School in 2019, their family set out on a vacation to Spain only for a canceled flight to lead them to Hawaii instead.

After a few days on Oahu, they made their way to 56 June/July 2021

Part of Toni’s vision for Mercy Deliverance Ministries began on a trip her family took to Hawaii in 2019.

the remote island of Lanai. “The whole week there I kept asking, ‘Why are we here?’” Toni recalls. “(God) had me up in prayer every morning. I didn’t understand what was going on.” But she’d start to see why she was there on their ride to the airport on the last day as their driver told them about of the plight of native Hawaiians, and not long after that Toni learned about about Micronesian migrants in Hawaii who do not have proper access to healthcare, housing and federal benefits. Something about their struggles stirred her to dream up ways to provide healthcare and food via mobile vehicles both in Hawaii and back at home in Alabama.

“There was something that struck my heart,” she says of that day leaving Lanai. “On the plane God started to speak to me and say I was going back to Hawaii for medical missions.”

But just when plans for ways to reach these people in Hawaii started to get underway, along came COVID-19. So Toni pivoted to focus back on

Last fall Mercy Deliverance Ministries distributed Farmers to Families boxes to families in need.

VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 57

58 June/July 2021

Alabama first with her newly formed nonprofit, Mercy Deliverance Ministries.

While the bus was still under works, last fall Mercy Deliverance Ministries partnered with ForWord Christian Center and Christian Fellowship Church—two churches she plans to partner with for the mobile food and health buses as well—to distribute food boxes in the areas the bus plans to serve. They’ve also worked with the American Heart Association to form a new partnership between Tuskegee and Auburn Universities to provide scholarships for students earning professional degrees in the biomedical and health sciences—just as Toni had dreamed of and later did.

In addition to those efforts, Toni has found a program that she wrote as a nursing student to teach girls like herself and her mother about highrisk contraception—but more than that, to teach them their value and worth. She sees this being a part of the ministry along with financial education as well.

Over in Hawaii MDM has sponsored a tiny house that has now been constructed through Homemade Hawaii, a nonprofit that provides assistance to address homelessness, and they have plans for more ministry work there as restrictions related to the pandemic start to lift.

Mercy Deliverance Ministries is currently delivering homeless care packages to ministry partners in Birmingham.

From food to health care to education, the threads that tie Mercy Deliverance Ministries’ vision to Toni’s own story run deep, and she’s quick to tell you that the theme of her journey has been prayer.

“There has not been one tear that I have cried that (God doesn’t) use to help somebody,” Toni says.

“He wastes nothing if you will trust him. Everything I have been through he plans to use, but I have to listen and trust and obey.”

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VESTAVIA HILLS BEST WINNERS 2021

You voted. We tallied. See just who Vestavia Hills’ favorites are.

Photos by Keith McCoy & Contributed

60 June/July 2021

FOOD & DRINK

BEST FRIENDLY SERVICE Snapper Grabber’s Land & Sea 521 Montgomery Highway, #101 (205) 824-9799 snappergrabbers.com

BEST SWEET TREATS Cookie Fix

Runners Up: Troup’s Pizza, Mudtown Eat & Drink BEST KID FRIENDLY DINING Taco Mama – Vestavia 700 Montgomery Highway, Suite 194A (205) 941-8226 tacomamaonline.com/vestavia/ Runners Up: Troup’s Pizza, Mudtown Eat & Drink BEST ETHNIC DINING/REGIONAL CUISINE Pappas’ Grill 1066 Montgomery Highway (205) 823-4458 Runners Up: El ZunZún, Olive Branch

BEST DATE NIGHT RESTAURANT Bistro V 521 Montgomery Highway (205) 823-1505 bistro-v.com Runners Up: Satterfield’s Restaurant, FoodBar

VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 61

BEST LUNCH SPOT Snapper Grabber’s Land & Sea 521 Montgomery Highway, #101 (205) 824-9799 snappergrabbers.com Runners Up: Ashley Mac’s, Diplomat Deli BEST CASUAL DINING Snapper Grabber’s Land & Sea 521 Montgomery Highway, #101 (205) 824-9799 snappergrabbers.com BEST PIZZA Troup’s Pizza

Runners Up: Troup’s Pizza, Mudtown Eat & Drink BEST COFFEE Starbucks 700 Montgomery Highway, #100 (205) 978-2892// 3130 Cahaba Heights Road (205) 298-7946 starbucks.com

BEST BARBEQUE Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint 3029 Pump House Road (205) 715-8999 martinsbbqjoint.com Runners Up: Miss Myra’s Pit Bar B Q, Moe’s Original BBQ - Vestavia Hills

VOTED

BEST BANK VESTAVIA HILLS 2021

Runner Up: Dunkin’

WE WORK HARD TO HELP CUSTOMERS MOVE THEIR LIVES FORWARD. Thanks to the readers of Vestavia Hills Magazine for naming Regions the Best Bank. We’ll continue to work hard to give you the best banking experience possible.

Vestavia Montgomery Highway Branch 529 Montgomery Highway Vestavia Hills, AL 35216 regions.com

MAGAZINE

VESTAVIA HILLS’

BEST VE

ST

AV

2021 WINNER

IAH

ILLSMAGAZINE

.CO

M

© 2021 Regions Bank. Regions and the Regions logo are registered trademarks of Regions Bank. The LifeGreen color is a trademark of Regions Bank.

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BEST SWEET TREATS Cookie Fix 3152 Heights Village (205) 848-8001 cookiefix.com Runners Up: Bendy’s Cookies & Cream, Bruster’s Real Ice Cream BEST PIZZA Troup’s Pizza 3144 Heights Village (205) 536-6860 troupspizza.com Runners Up: Slice Pizza & Brewhouse, Donatos Pizza BEST DRINKS/COCKTAILS Bistro V 521 Montgomery Highway (205) 823-1505 bistro-v.com Runners Up: Mudtown Eat & Drink, The Ridge Eat & Drink

BEST BARBEQUE Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint

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Snapper Grabber’s Land & Sea 521 Montgomery Highway, #101 (205) 824-9799 snappergrabbers.com Runner Up: Twisted Root Burger Co. BEST CHEF Patrick McCown - Snapper Grabber’s Land and Sea 521 Montgomery Highway, #101 (205) 824-9799 snappergrabbers.com BEST OUTDOOR SPOT McCallum Park

Runners Up: Terrill Brazelton- Troup’s Pizza, Becky Satterfield- Satterfield’s Restaurant

BEST BURGER TIE BETWEEN: Mudtown Eat & Drink 3144 Green Valley Road (205) 967-3300 mudtownalabama.com

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BEST MARGARITA Taco Mama - Vestavia Hills 700 Montgomery Highway, Suite 194A (205) 941-8226 tacomamaonline.com/vestavia/ Runners Up: El ZunZún, Sol Azteca Méxican Restaurant

COMMUNITY

BEST COMMUNITY EVENT KultureBall kulturecity.org Runners Up: Deck the Heights, Wing Ding BEST NEIGHBORHOOD Cahaba Heights Runners Up: Liberty Park, Derby Downs Estates BEST LOCAL CAUSE KultureCity kulturecity.org

BEST PHARMACY Rocky Ridge Drug Co.

Runners Up: RISE - Vestavia Hills High School, Vestavia Hills City Schools Foundation BEST OUTDOOR SPOT McCallum Park Rosemary Lane vhal.org Runners Up: Cahaba Heights Elementary, Sibyl Temple

BEST CHURCH Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church 2061 Kentucky Avenue (205) 822-9631 vhumc.org Runners Up: Shades Mountain Baptist Church, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church

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IER THE RUCKER COLL STORY FOUNDATION

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BEST CHURCH Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church

Thank you for voting us

BEST SWEETS & BEST NEW BUSINESS! Cookie Fix

Homewood

Cahaba Heights

BEST LOCAL PERSONALITY Julian Maha KultureCity Founder kulturecity.org Runners Up: Rick Burgess, Tu Le

HEALTH & BEAUTY

BEST FAMILY MEDICINE PRACTICE Grandview Medical Group – Vestavia 1919 Kentucky Avenue, #113 (205) 971-1515 grandviewmedicalgroup.com Runner Up: Grandview Medical Group - Liberty Park BEST PEDIATRIC PRACTICE Vestavia Pediatrics 1936 Old Orchard Road (205) 978-3200 childrensal.org Runners Up: Liberty Pediatrics - Dr. Manci Balas, Puzzle Piece 66 June/July 2021

BEST DENTAL PRACTICE Fulton Dental 1000 Chestnut Street, Suite 100 (205) 822-3838 vestaviadentist.com

BEST LOCAL PERSONALITY Julian Maha

Runners Up: Vestavia Hills Pediatric Dentistry, Summit Smiles Pediatric Dentistry BEST ORTHODONTICS PRACTICE Sarver Orthodontics 1705 Vestavia Parkway (205) 979-7072 sarverortho.com Runners Up: Yanosky Orthodontics, Abenoja Orthodontics at Liberty Park BEST EYE CARE PRACTICE Vestavia Eye Care 2531 Rocky Ridge Road, Suite 116 (205) 978-4088 vestaviaeyecare.com Runners Up: Eye Care Associates: Casey M Brown OD, Dr. Ashley Dahl

BEST CHIROPRACTIC CARE PRACTICE Core Chiropractic 4851 Cahaba River Road, #103 (205) 206-9341 corebirmingham.com Runners Up: Rocky Ridge Chiropractic Center, Balance Chiropractic- Dr. Nicole Ussery

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BEST PHARMACY Rocky Ridge Drug Co. 3346 Morgan Drive (205) 259-7100 rockyridgedrugco.com

TH A NK YO U A R DEN T PA R EN TS !

MAGAZINE

HOOVER’S

BEST HO

OV

2021 WINNER

ERSM

AGAZINE

M .CO

VESTAVI A HI L L S’

BEST VE

2021 WINNER

ST M AV .C O I AH I L L SMAGAZI NE

SHEL BY L I VI NG’S

BEST OF THE

BEST 2021 WINNER

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Runners Up: Cahaba Pharmacy, Publix Super Market at Vestavia Hills City Center BEST SALON Muse Salon 4851 Cahaba River Road, Suite 111 (205) 977-9889 birminghammuse.com Runners Up: Owens Hudson Salon, Gary Anthony Salon

SCHEDULE A TOUR AND SEE WHY OUR DELIGHTED PARENTS CHOOSE ARDENT.

W W W. A R D EN TP R ES CHO O L .COM GREYSTO N E • PATC H WO R K FA R MS • T R AC E C R O SSIN G S • VA L L EY DA L E

SHOPPING & SERVICES BEST SPECIALTY STORE Flip Flops & What Nots 4137 White Oak Drive (205) 967-7429

Runners Up: Mark’s Outdoor Sports, Cummings Jewelry Design BEST NAIL SALON OR SPA Vestavia Nails 2531 Rocky Ridge Road (205) 979-3303 Runners Up: LaBella Spa & Wellness, The Retreat Day Spa BEST NURSEY Andy’s Creekside Nursery 2489 Rocky Ridge Road (205) 824-0300 andysgardencenter.com Runner Up: Leaf & Petal - The Summit BEST FITNESS CENTER Life Time Fitness 3051 Healthy Way (205) 547-3100 lifetime.life Runners Up: The Heights Fitness, Forge Fitness Powered by CrossFit Shades

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BEST PERSONAL TRAINER Jaiquan Crook – Lifetime 3051 Healthy Way (205) 547-3100 lifetime.life Runners Up: Amanda Traywick - The Heights Fitness, Erin Holtz - Pure Fitness BEST NEW BUSINESS Cookie Fix 3152 Heights Village (205) 848-8001 cookiefix.com

BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE Cummings Jewelry Design

Runners Up: Summit Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, Troup’s Pizza BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE Cummings Jewelry Design 3166 Heights Village (205) 298-9144 cummingsjewelrydesign.com

BEST BOUTIQUE/CLOTHING Flip Flops & What Nots 4137 White Oak Drive (205) 967-7429 Runners Up: Darnell’s Fun Stuff, Cradle + Bee

Runners Up: Darnell’s Fun Stuff, La Bella Skin & Wellness

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BEST FLORIST Flower Betty

BEST GIFT SHOP Darnell’s Fun Stuff 3370 Morgan Drive (205) 823-3688 funstuffgifts.com Runners Up: Monograms Plus, La Bella Skin & Wellness BEST STORE FOR KIDS/ TEENS GiGi’s Tween 3138 Heights Village (205) 298-1811 Runners Up: Learning Express Toys, The Lili Pad BEST JEWELRY STORE Cummings Jewelry Design 3166 Heights Village (205) 298-9144 cummingsjewelrydesign.com Runners Up: Alan & Co. Fine Jewelers, Steed’s Jeweler’s Inc. BEST STORE FOR HOME FURNISHINGS /DÉCOR/KITCHENS Monograms Plus 1360 Montgomery Highway, Suite 122 (205) 822-3353 shopmonogramsplus.com Runner Up: Flower Betty BEST FLORIST Flower Betty 2531 Rocky Ridge Road, Suite 101 (205) 694-9229 flowerbettybham.com Runners Up: FlowerBuds, Continental Florist 70 June/July 2021

BEST ANIMAL CLINIC Pet Vet Animal Hospital 2021 Kentucky Avenue (205) 824-2077 alpetvet.com

BEST GIFT SHOP Darnell’s Fun Stuff

Runners Up: Cahaba Mountain Brook Animal Clinic, Britt Animal Hospital BEST DRY CLEANER Champion Cleaners 2548 Rocky Ridge Road (205) 824-7737 championcleaners.com Runners Up: Dry Clean City, Watkins Cleaners BEST CHILDCARE Ardent Preschool & DaycarePatchwork Farms 3030 Healthy Way (205) 834-9190 ardentpreschool.com Runners Up: Vestavia Day School, Vestavia Hills Baptist Church

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HOME, FINANCE & AUTO BEST REMODELER Rusty Luccasen R&R Construction

Andy's Creekside Nursery

Runners Up: Slate Barganier Building, Noto Homebuilders BEST SENIOR LIVING Town Village Vestavia Hills 2385 Dolly Ridge Road (205) 979-2702 townvillagevestaviahills.com Runner Up: Longleaf Liberty Park

Birmingham's Premier Garden Center, Landscaping Service, and Farmer's Market

3351 Morgan Dr, Vestavia Hills, AL 35216

(205) 824-0233

BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT Nicole Thomason Hardekopf-ARC Realty 4274 Cahaba Heights Court, Suite 200 nicole@arcrealtyco.com nicolehardekopf.arcrealtyco.com Runners Up: George Lawton - Re/Max, Connie and Steven Jacks - White House Real Estate & The Luxe Group BEST REAL ESTATE AGENCY RE/MAX Southern Homes 903 Montgomery Highway remax.com Runners Up: ARC Realty – Vestavia, Team Taylor Remax BEST INSURANCE AGENT Jack Traffanstedt - State Farm Insurance Agent 308 Montgomery Highway (205) 823-3370 jacktraffanstedt.com Runners Up: John Henley - State Farm Insurance Agent, The Marcus Agency - Allstate Insurance BEST INSURANCE AGENCY John Henley - State Farm Insurance Agent 2118 Columbiana Road (205) 823-1343 statefarm.com Runners Up: The Marcus Agency -Allstate Insurance, Jimmy Stewart - State Farm Insurance Agent

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BEST BANK/CREDIT UNION Regions Bank 529 Montgomery Highway/ 3172 Heights Village/ 3390 Morgan Drive regions.com Runners Up: America’s First Federal Credit Union, Synovus Bank BEST HVAC SERVICE Sentry Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, & Electrical 2490 Rocky Ridge Road (205) 979-9864 sentryheating.com Runner Up: SimpliComfort

BEST AUTO SERVICE Express Oil Change 1479 Montgomery Highway (205) 823-0466/ 2556 Rocky Ridge Road (205) 823-8175/ 3940 Crosshaven Drive (205) 969-5596 expressoil.com Runners Up: S+S Automotive Specialists, Vestavia Auto Service BEST CAR WASH Anthony’s Full Service & Express Car Wash Vestavia 1009 Vestavia Parkway (205) 822-9274 anthonyscarwash.com Runner Up: Mister Car Wash

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OUT & ABOUT

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PHOTOS BY MARY CLAIRE DENT

The annual color run on March 6 kicked off festivities for RISE at Vestavia Hills High School. Through the run, a character event and RISE Day students raised money to support cancer research.

1. Howie Latham, Grant Uldrich, Crawford West, Katherine Morrison, Katie Mollison, Micah Roberson, Ethan Strand and Aidan Behr 2. Anna Szymela, Drew Daniel and Chappell Lawrence 3. Ethan Strand 4. Amelia Johnston and Isaac Obermiller 5. Grace Ann Smith, Sarah Prior, Mary Claire VonEschenbach and Emily Wigley 6. Crawford West 7. Emma Kerby 8. A human tunnel 9. Matt Coleman, Ella Sweeney, Stella Ross and Aidan Behr 10. Taylor Crenshaw, Hoke Smith, Harper Avery, Claire Willoughby, Anne Lauren Ingram, Alice Willoughby, Jake Johnson, Cameron Walker, Emma Smith, Ally Smith, Reagan Nix, Elli Huber, Katie Guillen and Davis Stewart 11. Retired VHHS Football Coach Buddy Anderson with students 12. The finish line

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OUT & ABOUT

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HEIGHTS HANGOUT

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PHOTOS BY JAMES CULVER

Heights Village in Cahaba Heights was filled with live music, a kids zone, pop-up shops, food and more for this annual event on April 25.

1. Beth and Lanie Northcutt 2. Sellers and Mosley Campbell, and Wells and Brooks Davis 3. The Washington Family 4. Natalie and Siobhan Foley 5. Nora and Chapel Dumas, and Chrisann Wingo

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6. Lisa Bamberg, MC Bowden and Riley Bowden 7. Kate and Carly Walker 8. Michelle Crim, Eddie Crim and Susan Day 9. Ellis and Gunner 10. Champion Tree and Mudtown 11. Sloan Greenhalt, Mary Allison Hall, Elizabeth Cantrell and Anne Reed Greenhalt 12. The Creekmore Family

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SUBSCRIBE NOW! Front cover with Back cover MAGAZINE VESTAVIA HILLS

Back cover

GUIDE HOLIDAY GIFT

• THE MAN BEHIND

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MAGAZINE VESTAVIA HILLS

BY NICOLE ABSTRACT ART

Back cover

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A HAVEN ‘GRAM • TOUR

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H STYLE HOME

MAGAZINE VESTAVIA HILLS

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agazine . coM

TER DA A BRIGH E-A-WISH V estaVia H ills M

HOW MAK GING ALABAMA IS BRIN JOY TO CHILDREN agazine . coM

SSION MI on H GEAR VariatiHIG

V estaVia H ills M

EN HUE

IN

agazine . coM

IER THE RUCKER COLL STORY FOUNDATION

D eceMber 2020/J anuary

RESS AY IN EXPDW TOOA DANCERSBR RK EMPOWERING 202THE COLOR IN 1 IR SKIN THE DA ACTOR THEMSELVES CHATTING WITH

W ED D IN G S

UARY 2021 DECEMBER 2020/JAN ne.com VestaviaHillsMagazi Six Volume Four | Issue

2021

$4.95

OWELL

TOMMY MCD

F ebruary /M arcH

CH 2021 FEBRUARY/MAR ne.com VestaviaHillsMagazi One Volume Five | Issue

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a pril /M ay 2021

AY 2021

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MARKETPLACE

Marketplace Vestavia Hills Magazine • 205.669.3131

Now hiring RN’s and LPN’s throughout Alabama! $250 community referral bonus for RN’s and LPN’s. Sign-on Bonuses available at select locations! For more information please contact: Paige Gandolfi Call/text: 724-691-7474 pgandolfi@wexfordhealth.com Automation Personnel Services Hiring IMMEDIATELY For: Automotive Assembly, General Labor, Production, Clerical, Machine Operator, Quality, Carpentry, Welder, Foundry.

Positions In: Calera, Clanton, Pelham, Bessemer, McCalla.

Walk-in applications accepted.

Clanton (205)280-0002.

Pelham (205)444-9774.

Bama Concrete Now Hiring: Diesel Mechanic 4 Years Minimum Experience.

CDL Preferred. Competitive Pay. Great Benefits. Apply in person: 2180 Hwy 87 Alabaster, 35007 Lancaster Place Apartments.

Location, community & quality living in Calera, AL. 1, 2, & 3 bedroom apartments available. Call today for specials!! 205-668-6871.

Or visit hpilancasterplace.com Marble Valley Manor.

Affordable 1 and 2 Bedroom Apartments for Elderly & Disabled. Many on-site services! 2115 Motes Rd, Sylacauga. 256-245-6500 •TDD#s: 800-548-2547(V) •800-548-2546(T/A). Office Hours: Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm.

Equal Opportunity Provider/ Employer LAND FOR SALE 180 acres, located on Walnut Creek. Will not divide property. Call for more information: 205-369-5641 CLOCK REPAIR SVS. * Setup * Repair * Maintenance. I can fix your Mother’s clock.

Alabaster/Pelham. Call Stephen (205)663-2822 HIRING EXPERIENCED FULL GENERAL LAWN CARE •Grass Cutting •Limb Trimming •Storm Cleanup •Debris Removal •Serving Shelby, Chilton, Coosa & many more areas. •Decks •Porches •Stairs •Demolition Call Alex today for details: 1-205-955-3439 Military & Senior Discounts

78 June/July 2021

CASE ORDER SELECTORS $19.03 per hour plus production $$$ incentives.

Grocery order selection using electric pallet jacks & voice activated headsets.

Great benefits including Blue Cross health & dental insurance & matching 401k.

Pre-employment drug test required. Apply Online: WWW.AGSOUTH.COM

General Cleaner Needed -Daytime shift, office building, downtown Clanton.

Approximately 4-6 hours work, Monday–Friday. Tasks include dusting, sweeping/mopping, removing trash, cleaning restrooms. Call 205-365-8414 or 205-424-5252 $2000 SIGN ON BONUS NEW PAY SCALE TO QUALIFYING DRIVERS EVERGREEN TRANSPORT, is accepting applications for local drivers in the Calera and Leeds, AL, area. Must have Class A CDL, good driving record, 1 yr verifiable tractor trailer experience. Good pay and benefits. Apply in person at 8278 Hwy 25 South, Calera, AL, or call for info 205-668-3316.

SEPCO Sealing Equipment Products Co. Inc. JOIN OUR TEAM! •Braiding Operator •Parts Finisher •Grafoil/ Ring Press Operator •CNC Machinist If you are looking for a fantastic company to work for, with competitive pay & benefits, submit resume at: www.sepco.com/careers EOE Electrician - FT Supreme Electric, local-based company in Pelham. Must be willing to learn & work hard. Go to: supremeelectric-al.com Print employment application under Contact Us. Mail to: Supreme Electric 231 Commerce Pkwy Pelham, AL 35124 or call 205-453-9327.

Become a Dental Assistant in ONLY 8 WEEKS! Please visit our website capstonedental assisting.com or call (205)561-8118 and get your career started!

MacLean Power Systems NOW HIRING 3098 Pelham Pkwy, Pelham, AL 35124 We are actively hiring for production operations Apply at: www.macleanfogg.com/careers

VestaviaHillsMagazine.com

Popeyes Seeking friendly, motivated, dependable Crew Members. OPEN INTERVIEWS DAILY 2:00pm-5:00pm 3300 Pelham Parkway. Immediate Openings! Start work this week! Apply online: work4popeyeskitchen.com Boise Cascade Now Hiring for Utility Positions. Starting pay $14/hour. Must be able to pass background screen.

Please apply at www.bc.com WELDER NEEDED MIG & TIG •Light gauge stainless, aluminized, galvanized Manufacturing and Assembly Helpers Needed •Paid Holidays •Typical Shifts 6:00am-2:30pm Call RICK: 205-761-3975 Oxford Healthcare in Montgomery currently hiring certified CNA’s and/or Home Health aides in the Clanton, Marbury and Maplesville areas. Must be able to pass complete background check, have reliable transportation and have a strong work ethic.

Serious inquiries only. Call 334-409-0035 or apply on-line at www.Oxfordhealthcare.com South Haven Health & Rehab NOW HIRING!!! •LPN’s & RN’s -$5,000 Sign-on Bonus for Full-Time shift •CNA’s Apply in person: 3141 Old Columbiana Rd Birmingham,AL- 35266 Acceptance Loan Company, Inc. Personal loans! Let us pay off your title loans! 224 Cahaba Valley Rd, Pelham 205-663-5821 Experienced Termite Technician or someone experienced in route-service work and wants to learn new profession. Work-vehicle/ equipment provided. Must drive straight-shift, have clean driving record/be 21/pass background/drug test. Training provided. Insurance/401K offered. M-F 7:00-4:30 + 1 Saturday/month. Pay $13hr.

Send resume to facsmith@charter.net Maintenance Technician 11p-7a, Some weekends.

Aluminum smelting manufacturer seeking multicraft maintenance technicians to perform Machine Repair, Machine Installation, Pipefitting, Basic Machining, Metalwork/Fabrication and

Welding Qualified. Email resumes: jkendall@bermco.com Maintenance Supervisor Days Shift- Some nights and weekends Aluminum smelting manufacturer seeking qualified candidates to delegate maintenance workand PM’s as required to maintain daily operations of production.

Manage project scheduling and completion dates. Email resumes:jkendall@bermco.com Accounts Payable Clerk Aluminum smelting manufacturer seeking qualified candidates to perform accounting and clerical duties related to the efficient maintenance and processing of accounts payable transactions.

Experience using RIMAS a plus. Email resumes: jkendall@bermco.com Purchasing Agent Aluminum smelting manufacturer seeking qualified candidates to identifying suppliers, researching goods and services, processing purchase orders, verifying items received & managing inventory. Email resumes: jkendall@bermco.com Front End Loader / Rotary Operator 3pm-11pm, 11pm7am Overtime & weekends may be required. Aluminum smelting manufacturer seeking qualified FELOs to charge furnace, take samples from furnace & dross off furnace.

Must have front end loader and forklift experience. Email resumes: jkendall@bermco.com Air Conditioning Installer Experience preferred, (not required). Must be drug-free!

Call 205-663-2199 Gables Crossing Apartments 1, 2 & 3 BR UNITS $385 to $485 (205) 225-0055 gablescrossingpro@gmail.com Maintenance Worker Needed for Apartments. Part-Time.

Experience Preferred. Call 205-225-0055 Eastern Tree Service • 24Hour Storm Service • www.ETSTree.org • Experienced Professionals • Quick Response • Free Estimates • Call Us Today: 205-856-2078

Tru Acupressure Clinic LLC. Licensed Therapist.

Services Available: •Deep Tissue •Swedish •Acupressure •Hot Stone. Same-Day Appointments. Walk-Ins Available. *$50 SPECIAL!* 1 Hour Foot/Back Massage when you bring in this ad! 844 Highway 31 Suite I, Alabaster.

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK! 9:30am-9:30pm 205-624-211 AL License #E-3013 SPRING LAWNCARE SPECIAL Let us clean up those leaves for you!

FULL SERVICE LAWN CARE includes planting, trimming, flower beds, cleaning fence rows, and work other don’t want to do!

Ensure your lawn is beautiful, regardless of the season AND have the BEST lawn in the neighborhood!

Free Estimates!

Discounts available for Military & Seniors Affordable Lawncare 1 (205) 461-3671 Alabama Air Power Inc Now Hiring Industrial Air Compressor Technician Will cross train person with mechanical skills, Electrical and/or HVAC knowledge Blue Cross Health and Dental Paid Vacation Paid Holidays Apply In Person 1293 Hwy 87, Alabaster DSLD Land Management is actively seeking: •Tree Surgeon •Gas Plumber •Carpenter •Landscape Technician •CDL Driver •Office Administrators •Registered Landscape Architect 205-437-1012 dsldland.com Earth Angels In-HomeCare LLC. BBB Accredited, licensed, bonded, following CDC guidelines to keep out clients safe. 205-881-4034 or 205-484-1301. earthangelshcare@gmail.com 1365 A Hueytown Rd. Hueytown, AL

VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 79

MY VESTAVIA HILLS LEIGH KING FORSTMAN

Leadership Vestavia Hills President + Founder of King Forstman Law LLC

You’re Invited

Annabelle’s Annabelle’s inside Vestavia Hills Apothecary is my go-to for printing stationery, invitations and holiday cards. Carol and Elizabeth have captured everything from fun and casual to fancy and elegant. I highly recommend the creative work of their design team.

Checkmate

The Knight School Over the past decade we attended many chess tournaments at Vestavia Hills Elementary East and the Vestavia Hills Civic Center.

Our son, Hartwell, had lots of fun learning chess strategy with The Knight School, founded and coached by Dr. David Brooks, a fellow Vestavian.

Engaging Leaders

Leadership Vestavia Hills Leadership Vestavia Hills is an amazing amalgamation of persons from diverse backgrounds seeking to make a difference in our community.

I entered the program with an expectation of a high-caliber professional experience, and I finished the program informed, inspired and empowered, as LVH’s mission envisions. Even more importantly, I cultivated relationships that I will treasure for a lifetime. Here’s to the inimitable Class of 2019!

Book of Life

Vestavia Memories My husband, Keith, and I moved to Vestavia Hills in 1999.

Our son, Hartwell, was born in 2005. We have cherished every chapter of our time here, especially the academic opportunities for Hartwell and his time playing basketball, baseball, football, piano and chess. Those activities introduced us to so many Vestavians. We look forward to future chapters.

Jersey Girl

Dogs of Wald Park We have the absolute best memories of baseball games at Wald Park. Our spaniel, Carmella, wore a matching jersey for three years in a row and “her” team won the championship all three years. She’s definitely a lucky dog!

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SPA CAHABA

82 June/July 2021