Homewood Life, March/April 2018

LAUREN DENTON’S NEW NOVEL • HELLO BIG BAD BREAKFAST • LANDSCAPES BY JANE REED ROSS

CLOSE TO HOME AT THE BELL CENTER

ENTER THE BRIARY’S

GENTLEMAN’S QUARTERS

HEY COACH SILLS

MAKING HIS MARK ON GENERATION NEXT

MARCH/APRIL 2018 HomewoodLife.com Volume One | Issue Two $4.95

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FEATURES 48

HOMEWOOD’S GENTLEMAN’S QUARTERS The magic of The Briary’s smoking room is not just about tobacco, although it certainly has that too.

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NATURAL WONDER Landscape architect Jane Reed Ross gets energy from nature, and wields that powerful spark to give forgotten spaces new life.

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A JEWEL IN HOMEWOOD’S CROWN

PHOTO BY MARY FEHR

How The Bell Center’s unique community fosters support, going beyond physical needs.

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PHOTO BY LINDSEY CULVER

arts & culture

17 Set in the South: Lauren Denton on Her Second Novel & More 22 Read This Book: A Whole New World

schools & sports

23 The Magic of Coach Sills: Showing Kindness Really is Cool 28 Five Questions For: HHS Director of Show Choirs Scott Thorne

food

& drink

29 Big Bad Breakfast: Homewood’s New Breakfast Joint 35 Cocktail: Jackson’s Sangria 36 Five Questions For: Lucky Cat’s Hannah and Greg Slamen

home

in every issue 6 Contributors 7 From the Editor 8 HomewoodLife.com 9 #HomewoodLife 10 The Question 11 The Guide 74 Chamber Connections 76 Out & About 85 Marketplace 88 My Homewood

& style

37 Light & Bright: The Tanners’ Hollywood Home 46 In Style: Stars and Stripes Forever

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contributors EDITORIAL

Graham Brooks Stephen Dawkins Alec Etheredge Briana Harris Amalia Kortright Madoline Markham Keith McCoy Emily Sparacino Neal Wagner

Melanie Peeples, Writer When Melanie first moved to Homewood, she couldn’t figure out why so many people were wearing shirts that said “Homewood” on them. Three years later she wanted to know where she could find one. Before becoming a mostly full-time mom, she covered the South for NPR. She loves travelling to new places (and old places, too) and also coming home.

CONTRIBUTORS Scott Butler Kayley Coggins Rob Culpepper James Culver

Jennifer Slaton, Writer

Lindsey Culver

Jennifer B. Slaton lives in Birmingham with her husband, Jeff, and their

Mary Fehr

two sons and oversized dog. She enjoys freelance writing and editing after

Suzanne Mills

25 years at Time Inc., where she worked most recently as Executive Editor

Melanie Peeples

for Coastal Living. She loves all sorts of music, from Blossom Dearie to

Emma Simmons

Superchunk.

Lauren Ustad Sarah Waller Rebecca Wise

DESIGN

Connor Bucy Jamie Dawkins Kate Sullivan

MARKETING

Kristy Brown Kari George Rachel Henderson Daniel Holmes Rhett McCreight Kim McCulla Ashley Petrus Kerrie Thompson

ADMINISTRATION Hailey Dolbare Mary Jo Eskridge Katie Krouse Katie McDowell Stacey Meadows Tim Prince

Lindsey Culver, Photographer Originally from the Midwest, Lindsey is a photographer who lives in Homewood with her husband, Chris, and two mischievous children, Smith and Roland (along with their dachshund puppy, Sweeney Todd).

When not working as a baby and child photographer, she can be found with her hands in the dirt of her flower and vegetable garden, with a cup of coffee in hand around the clock, hosting hot tub parties for her friends and attending every local musical theater performance.

Rebecca Wise, Photographer Rebecca is a photographer living in Birmingham with her husband, Chase, their three sons, Raughley (8), Liam (6) and Marshall(3), and their two dogs. She specializes in family and children’s photography as well as sports and movement photography such as yoga, pilates and ballet. When she doesn’t have a camera in hand, she loves to read and spend time with her family.

Homewood Life is published bimonthly by Shelby County Newspapers Inc., P.O. Box 947, Columbiana, AL 35051.

Homewood Life 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, Homewood Life, P.O. Box 947, Columbiana, AL 35051.

Homewood Life is mailed to select households throughout Homewood, and a limited number of free copies are available at local businesses. Please visit HomewoodLife.com for a list of those locations. Subscriptions are available at a rate of $16.30 for one year by visiting HomewoodLife.com or calling (205) 669-3131, ext. 532.

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

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from the editor

O

ON THE COVER

Coach Steve Sills

Steve Sills is not just a Homewood Middle School teacher—he’s beloved by many as a mentor, Trendsetter and… DJ. Photo by Lindsey Culver Design by Connor Bucy

On vacation last month, a cousin who particularly enjoys well thought-out questions (just as I do) posed this hypothetical one to me: “If you were to get offered an exceptional professional opportunity in, say, Dallas, would you take it?” My response was something to the effect of: “Well, it would depend on the offer, but overall it would have to be amazing to make me even consider it. After being in a city for eight years of adulthood, I have built eight years’ worth of relationships, and it would be really hard to start over.” Because I think that’s been the biggest thing I have learned in adulthood—that relationships are really what matter in life, and that the longer you share in day-to-day life with someone, the more irreplaceable that bond becomes.

And as we put together this issue, relational ties seemed to be the theme that knit everything together. What fun it was to open Melanie Peeple’s story on a cigar store to find the heart of the story turned out to not so much about cigars themselves as the “clubhouse” it has become for a host of men. My interview with Scott Thorne at HHS turned out to be less about singing and dancing than about how he mentors students and about the deeper ideas behind show choir shows. And when we decided to do a story on Coach Sills at Homewood Middle Schools after hearing about his influence on students and parents alike for years, I knew he was likely our cover star.

I always say that no matter what story we write, be it about food or music or whatnot, it’s really about the people. And fittingly, our Big Bad Breakfast story is not just about bacon and eggs (though be sure to try those), but about the founder’s heart and soul for recipes and how the team on the ground here is carrying out that vision. Books are just a giant set of relationships too, as author Lauren Denton proved by chatting with me about her close ties to reading, how her settings act as characters and how key her family is to what she does.

And that’s not even mentioning our stories on Jane Reed Ross’s influence on landscapes in Homewood and beyond, the Tanners’ stunning home in Hollywood, and how Lucky Cat Rolled Creams started with eating a lot of ice cream with neighbors. More than anything I hope the pages of this issue deepen your own ties to this place and its people, both the ones in these pages and the ones you cultivate as you share in life from day to day to day.

Thanks for reading,

madoline.markham@homewoodlife.com

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ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

Hollywood Home Tour Sneak Peek

Learn the history of all five houses that will be on this year’s Historic Hollywood Tour of Homes—plus more fun facts. The event is set for April 22. homewoodlife.com/hollywood-home-tour

THANK YOU Homewood Life for sharing our love story!! It’s my favorite.

-Stephanie Hixon Rothoff on Facebook

facebook.com/homewoodlife

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@homewoodlife

@homewoodlifemag

#HomewoodLife

Tag @HomewoodLife in your Homewood photos on Instagram, and we’ll pick our favorites to regram and publish on this page in each issue.

@corscec8 Everybody’s want me to post pics of the new addition to the Corscadden family. Fitz the goldendoodle.

@mebcain

Mama has turned into her Mama #100thdayofschool #grayhairdontcare #minime #charliessideeye #mamadoesfirstgrade

@sceartrocks

MLK Inspirational Grocery sacks… available (while supplies last) at the Pig this Monday! Thank you Dr. King for inspiring a whole new generation!

@scewinterfestivalauction

Don’t miss out on a pair of gorgeous, custom hand-painted suede feather earrings by Shades Cahaba mom and creator, Natalie Wearren @nataliejwmt! #scewinterfestival #handmade #fashion #featherearrings #suedeearrings #weloveshadescahaba #momlife

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“ ” THE QUESTION

What’s your favorite way that this community “gives back”?

As a Homewood firefighter, I’ve got to say that you citizens are awesome about giving to us. Bringing us meals or cookies and brownies or cards just saying thanks. It goes a long way.

Relay for Life has an amazing event! There are so many ways they raise money before the actual day off the event in April.

The school administrators and teachers support and cheer for every student. My 6th grader travels all over the Southeast to show her ponies, but the principals and teachers tell us not to worry.

The HKES Fall Festival is always amazing. The “little libraries” are a neat addition to our community as well.

The gentlemen who provide garbage service are second to none. I’ve never lived in a place where they are always friendly and personally take it out for you from behind your house if needed.

The multitude of parent volunteers (moms and dads too) who I have watched work tirelessly and humbly over the years in every single one of our Homewood public schools.

- Allison Heidbrink Nanni

-Hannah Johnson

Homewood Witches Ride!

This event raises money for a cause that has touched everyone in some way. Plus, we witches get to have fun in the process!

Scott Butler and the wonderful pictures he takes of all of our kids!

- Matthew Crump

- Danielle Williamson Davis

- Amy Robertson Boyd

-Julie Austin Head Zaharis

- Marianne Long Siegel

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- Raegan Whitten Bellenger

THE GUIDE

JAZZ IN THE PARK APRIL 8 3 P.M. HOMEWOOD CENTRAL PARK Really the event name says it all. Except you should also know that it’s free. Join the Homewood Arts Council for this annual event in partnership with Magic City Smooth Jazz. Because who doesn’t want to chill on the lawn and hear live music in spring weather with their neighbors?

PHOTO BY BOB TEDROW

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THE GUIDE WHAT TO DO IN HOMEWOOD MARCH 1 Tom and Marla Corts Distinguished Author Series presents Eric Motley Samford University Wright Center 7 p.m.

MARCH 1 First Thursday Art Stroll Downtown Homewood 5– 8 p.m.

APRIL 22

Hollywood Home Tour 1-4 P.M.

Take a tour of four historic homes and one newly remodeled home in one of Homewood’s favorite neighborhoods. Fun facts: In 1924, the Hollywood Land Company first planned the Spanish-style homes in the area, and Hollywood was its own township from 1926-29. Proceeds benefit the Hollywood Garden Club and Shades Cahaba Elementary School. Tickets can be purchased online through Eventbrite or at Fab’rik Homewood, Homewood Antiques, Chickadee, Sweet Pea’s Garden Shop, Hunter’s Cleaner’s and Smith’s Variety.

The Homes: • The Pearson House, 9 Bonita Drive • The Davis House, 116 Bonita Drive • The Beasley House, 239 La Prado Place • The Nix House, 306 English Circle SKETCH BY CHRIS REEBALS, CHRISTOPHER ARCHITECTURE & INTERIORS

MARCH 24

Homewood Easter Egg Hunt WEST HOMEWOOD PARK 5:30 P.M. BYOB (bring your own basket, that is) and get ready to hunt—and join in on the fun of games, prizes, bounce houses and Easter Bunny photos. Ages 1-2 and 3-4 will hunt at 6:30 p.m., ages 7-8 at 7:05 p.m., and ages 7-8 and 9-11 at 7:45 p.m. (so big kids, bring a flashlight).

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MARCH 2-3 Lil’ Lambs Consignment Sale Trinity United Methodist Church Gym Friday 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Saturday 9 a.m.-noon MARCH 3 Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-Off Brookwood Village 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

MARCH 3 Birmingham Wine 10K Patriot Park to Lakeshore Park Plaza 8 a.m.

MARCH 3 Parkinson’s Fighter Walk Samford University Track MARCH 9 Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Book Signing/Reception event Homewood Public Library 3:30-5:30 p.m.

MARCH 20 Chamber March Membership Luncheon Featuring Guest Speaker Kyle Bass of Homewood Theatre The Club 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

MARCH 24 Hop ‘n Shop Downtown Homewood 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

THE GUIDE MARCH 26-30 Spring Break Homewood City Schools APRIL 5 First Thursday Art Stroll Downtown Homewood 5- 8 p.m.

APRIL 17 Annual Excellence in Education and April Chamber Membership Luncheon Sponsored by Homewood Life The Club 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

APRIL 20 Inclement Weather Day Homewood City Schools APRIL 21 Homewood High School Prom Rosewood Hall APRIL 24 Rick Bragg - The Best Cook in the World: Tales from My Momma’s Table Alabama Booksmith 6 p.m.

APRIL 24 Edgewood Spring Festival Art Auction 6-8:30 p.m.

APRIL 27 Relay for Life Homewood Central Park 4-10 p.m.

APRIL 28 Birmingham Kidney Walk Samford Track & Soccer Stadium 9:30 a.m. alkidney.org APRIL 28 Edgewood Spring Festival Edgewood Elementary School 3-7 p.m.

MAY 3-4 Drama Spring Show Homewood High School

APRIL 28

APRIL 21

DAWSON MEMORIAL BAPTIST CHURCH

TRINITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Perseverance Steeple to Steeple Run 5K Why run in Edgewood? Because it’s flat of course, and you can even bring your dog on this course. The run starts and ends at Dawson Memorial Baptist Church, and you can stay afterward for refreshments. The 5K starts at 8 a.m. and the Fun Run at 8:45 a.m. Register at runsignup.com.

Take a run ‘round Homewood—either a 5K or 10K, your pick. Plus, it benefits the United Methodist Children’s Home. Options C and D: a fun run, or Sleep In registration (yes, that’s a thing) still comes with swag. The 10K starts at 8 a.m., the 5K at 8:10 a.m., and the Fun Run at 9 a.m. Register at runsignup.com.

APRIL 6-8

Always a Bridesmaid HOMEWOOD THEATRE AT THE DANCE FOUNDATION FRIDAY & SATURDAY 7:30 P.M., SUNDAY 2:30 P.M. Four friends have sworn to keep the promise they made on the night of their Senior Prom: to be in each other’s weddings. But with all that’s happening, the last wedding may not happen at all! Plus, this comedy is brought to you by the writers of The Golden Girls. So make girls night out plans for it stat. Tickets are $15 and can be ordered at homewoodtheatre.com.

SAVE THE DATE

We Love Homewood Day 2018 Saturday, May 5—mark your calendars because your favorite day of parades and bounce houses and sidewalk chalk art competitions is also Cinco de Mayo this year. We can’t wait for May!

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THE GUIDE AROUND TOWN MARCH 1-4 STARS Presents: The Wizard of Oz Virginia Samford Theatre MARCH 2-4 Alabama Ballet Presents: Swan Lake BJCC Concert Hall MARCH 2-4 Cottontail’s Village Arts, Crafts & Gifts Show BJCC

APRIL 12

Homewood Grown SOHO TERRACE

There really isn’t a more Homewood-magical night out there. Join the Homewood City Schools Foundation for dinner and celebration of this year’s Teacher Impact Award winners. Find tickets and more details at homewoodcityschoolsfoundation.com.

APRIL 13-15

Spring Plant Sale

BROOKWOOD VILLAGE MACY’S UPPER PARKING LOT FRIDAY 9-7 P.M., SATURDAY 9-5 P.M., SUNDAY 11-3 P.M.

Get your green thumb on and choose from more than 100,000 plants, most of which have been nurtured by volunteers at Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

Plant experts will be on-site and proceeds benefit The Gardens’ educational goals.

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MARCH 8-11 Maggie’s Perfect Match Virginia Samford Theatre MARCH 10 Gershwin in Hollywood Alabama Symphony Orchestra Alys Stephens Center MARCH 16-APRIL 1 Disney’s The Lion King BJCC MARCH 16 Ron White Alabama Theatre 8 p.m.

MARCH 17 Marc Broussard Alys Stephens Center MARCH 17 My Exaggerated Life: Pat Conroy as Told to Katherine Clark Alabama Booksmith 3 p.m.

MARCH 24 Rumpshaker 5K Regions Field 8 a.m.

MARCH 24 2018 Spring Walking Tour Series: Historic Loft District VisitVulcan.com for Tickets 9 a.m.

MARCH 25 The Jerusalem Quartet Alys Stephens Center

THE GUIDE MARCH 30 Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn Lyric Theatre APRIL 3 Chrissy Metz: This Is Me Tour Lyric Theatre APRIL 6 Taylor Hicks – Night Moves – Playing the Hits of Bob Seger Lyric Theatre APRIL 6-8 Alabama Ballet Presents: La Fille Mal Gardée BJCC Concert Hall APRIL 7 Service Guild Gala Benefitting The Bell Center The Club 6 p.m.

APRIL 12-15 2018 Alabama Auto Show BJCC Exhibition Halls APRIL 13-22 13 The Musical Red Mountain Cabaret Theatre APRIL 13-14 Lebanese Food and Culture Festival St. Elias Maronite Church APRIL 20-22 Motown The Musical BJCC Concert Hall APRIL 19-29 Ain’t Misbehavin’ Virginia Samford Theatre APRIL 20-22 Indy Grand Prix of Alabama Barber Motorsports Park APRIL 25 Rockin’ Road to Dublin Lyric Theatre APRIL 27 Relay for Life Homewood Central Park 4-10 p.m.

MARCH 17

Kiwanis Pancake Day Event and Silent Auction THE EXCEPTIONAL FOUNDATION 7 A.M. - NOON

Rise and shine, and come out for some hot cakes. Tickets, $5 with 100 percent going to children’s causes locally, will be available at the door. The Kiwanis Club of Homewood-Mountain Brook helps fund Key Club college scholarships, YMCA camp scholarships, and work with Children’s Hospital of Alabama and The Exceptional Foundation to make a real difference in the lives of children.

For advance tickets, or to become a sponsor, contact Heather Cover at hcover@ bham.lib.al.us.

Arts Council

New in the Gallery Did you know Rosewood Hall is home to the Homewood Arts Council art gallery? Be sure to stop by during office hours for their upcoming shows: March: Student Art Show For National Art Education Month, artworks from all of the Homewood city schools will be on display, with the opening reception on Thursday, March 1 from 5-6 p.m. at Rosewood Hall.

April: Artist James Knowles Local artist James Knowles will display his colorful pieces inspired by and exploring music. It just so happens to coincide with National Jazz Month and Jazz in the Park on April 8.

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&CULTURE

ARTS

SET IN THE SOUTH The sense of place in reader-turned-writer Lauren Denton’s second novel is just as much of a character as her first.

BY MADOLINE MARKHAM PHOTOS BY LINDSEY CULVER HomewoodLife.com 19

Lauren Denton has always been a big reader, a passion she now shares with her daughters Sela and Kate.

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Long before Lauren Denton was a writer, she was a reader. So it’s fitting that her first novel came after at a time when she was having a hard time finding something to read. “What would make the elements of a perfect book?” she asked herself. It would take place in summer, near water—the place this Mobile native always chooses over anywhere cold. And of course it would be set in the South. She thought of New Orleans and Mobile Bay, and then a bed and breakfast popped into her head. “And the story started bubbling,” Lauren recalls. “It was the first time I started trying to write a story and it kept coming and it kept coming.”

Fast forward to today. The novel set in both New Orleans and Sweet Bay (based on Magnolia Springs near Mobile) had characters spring to life, and now countless readers have joined in on the story. In fact, it spent eight weeks on the USA Today Bestseller list and made it to the Top 20 Most Sold list on Amazon and top 10 fiction ebooks list in the Wall Street Journal in 2017. Its title? The Hideaway. “I knew it was something different,” Lauren says. “I was invested enough in the characters that I thought other people would be too.”

THAT SOUTHERN SETTING

Both The Hideaway and Lauren’s two forthcoming novels started with a setting that evolved into a character itself. “I always thought the characters would come first and I’d build a world around these characters,” Lauren says. “But for all three novels, it all started with a place.” For The Hideaway, it was Sweet Bay. For her second novel Hurricane Season—which comes out April 3—it was an area she made up in Baldwin County, Alabama, north of the coast in that “rural area that’s familiar to so many who’ve driven through it on the way to the beach.” “Everything I have written so far is familiar to me. Even the places I have made up I have based on places that are familiar,” Lauren says. The third book she is working on is set in a fictional town based on the tiny one outside of Mobile where her grandparents lived.

Speaking of Hurricane Season, here’s its plot teaser: Husband and wife Ty and Betsy own a dairy farm and have tried to have their own children for years. Now Betsy’s “wild child” younger sister Jenna drops off her kids for two weeks while she goes on a photography retreat in Florida, and their life starts to look like they had always imagined it. Lauren summarizes it best: “In short, it’s about marriage, HomewoodLife.com 21

Author Lauren Denton often writes by hand as she brings her characters to life.

Hideaway, Lauren ended up taking a slightly different route. Coffee with writer Patti Callahan Henry, who lives in Mountain Brook, led to an editor friend of Patti’s and a book deal with Thomas Nelson. And the agent came later.

“Agents get upwards of 50 queries a day, and you’re lucky if they even snatch yours out of the pile,” Lauren says. “I give a lot of credit to Patti for getting my manuscript out of that slush pile.”

You might recognize Thomas Nelson as a publisher of Bible studies and Christian novels, but Lauren’s book is in a new niche they are venturing into. “I was hesitant about it at first,” she says. “I don’t read Christian fiction and I don’t write it, but my faith informs what I write. I like writing stories I can give to anyone to read, and I like stories that have some hint of redemption without having an overt faith message.” And so she fits in this niche somewhere between the “super sweet” Christian fiction A NEW NICHE and mainstream secular novels that Thomas Nelson Back before dairy farms and bestseller lists, Lauren markets to bookstores and libraries of all kinds.

Lauren also calls her work both Southern fiction (“I feel simply got an itch to write. It started in 2009 after her first daughter Kate was born. Before that she’d written for local like they wouldn’t be the same stories if they were set outside magazines but had never thought about venturing into the south.”) and women’s fiction. “There’s a lot of drama fiction, thinking it just wasn’t something she could do. But about what’s women’s fiction and what’s chick lit, and why then came the ideas, bouncing around her in head, and women’s fiction even has ‘women’s’ in front of it when coming out in sets of 10-20 pages at a time until she’d get there’s no men’s fiction,” she says. “I think women’s fiction bored. Eventually she finished a novel before The is following a woman or a group of women on some sort of Hideaway, but she later realized it was a “practice” book. journey. Women are more emotional than men, and as When it came time to shop for an agent for The women we are interested to see how other women deal with motherhood, sisters, daughters, cows, photography and hurricanes. I’m a little biased, but I think you’ll like it.”

Back to the setting, it’s hurricane season—an intense one Lauren based off the 2004-05 hurricane seasons with Ivan and Katrina. “I was remembering what it was like to have these storms coming over and over,” she says.

“Hurricanes come in and cause a lot of upheaval, and I thought it was a good metaphor for what was going on in their lives that summer.” To get there, though, she had to figure out how exactly a farm readied itself during a storm, so she spoke with a couple of dairy farmers—Gilmer Dairy Farm in Lamar County and Middleton Farms in Moss Point, Mississippi, that went through Katrina. “Dairy farming is really hard work and not quite as quaint as I once thought it was,” Lauren notes.

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screen, it’s more intimidating than this ratty Dollar Tree notebook. I can scratch through everything. If I get stuck, I can go back to this and then transcribe it all back to the computer.”

Amidst it all Lauren is always reading too. Reading is kind of a big deal for the Denton household in fact. “My husband reads. I read. My kids see it’s a neat thing,” Lauren says. “I read anything I can get my hands on, and (my daughter) Kate does too, which is really fun.”

Kindergartner Sela sits and “reads” picture books, eagerly awaiting learning the words to put it all together.

Lauren says her kids are “really pumped” about her books, too. She walked into Kate’s room recently and found her flopped across her bed reading the first few THE WRITING LIFE, THE READING LIFE pages of The Hideaway. The librarian at Edgewood told What exactly does the writing life look like for this her that when she asked Sela’s class if they knew what an Homewood mom of two? In the early days she wrote author was, Sela raised her hand and proudly stated, “I during nap times, but those were always changing. When know what an author is and my momma is one!” Then she was having trouble finding a time to write, her husband there was the time at the grocery store right after the book suggested doing it early, when he got up to run. At first she came out when they passed a woman they didn’t know, thought it sounded awful but then she did it, and the 5-7 and Kate leaned over and asked Lauren, “Do you think she a.m. writing time stuck—until her youngest went to knows you’re a famous author?”

Now this book fan girl has her own fans—eagerly waiting kindergarten this year. She never writes at night. Usually you’ll find her sitting on the couch in her living room, or for Hurricane Season to hit shelves in April. As Lauren spread out over a table at Homewood Public Library, writes, “What I love most about reading (is) that moment where she often sets out notecards to rearrange plot points. when I’m reading a book and the character’s words echo “People will come in and say, ‘What are you doing?’ But I something deep inside me—maybe even a feeling I have but haven’t figured out a way to put it into words. It makes me think they are used to it now,” Lauren says.

With Hurricane Season, she’s found herself writing say, ‘Yes! That’s it!’ THAT is what I want for readers of my long hand—in notebooks labeled 1, 2 and 3 with calendars books.”

Join author Lauren Denton for a launch party for she has drawn out in the back cover to keep track of the story’s timeline and spelling words her daughter has Hurricane Season on Saturday, April 7 from 6-8 p.m. at written on some of the pages. “I have found my brain Little Professor Bookcenter. Books will be available for works in a different way when I am writing with a pen,” purchase and signing, and there will be drinks and snacks she says. “When you are looking at a blank computer too. things. I think it opens the door to how other women live.”

Whatever you call her work, Lauren’s readers like it.

One reported stayed up until 2 a.m. reading and then set her alarm for 6 a.m. so she could finish it before work. “The really sweet messages are the ones where they say the story made them think about their grandparents differently, or they’d found themselves in a similar situation where they learned about something after their grandparent had passed away. Or the book made them want to learn their grandparents’ stories before they go. I have always been one to email writers and tell them when I love a book, so it’s humbling to be on the other side.”

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READ THIS BOOK

A Whole New World Recommendations from

Lauren Denton

Author The Hideaway and Hurricane Season

One of the great pleasures of reading for me is when a novel teaches me something new.

These five novels will open your eyes to a world, concept or event that is likely unfamiliar to most people, but I bet you’ll be hungry for more information when you finish reading!

To the Bright Edge of the World

By Eowyn Ivey This epistolary novel follows a group of explorers in the 1880s as they travel through undiscovered Alaska. If this sounds like a book that wouldn’t interest you, give it a shot anyway. It’s a spectacular journey and adventure.

Good Morning, Midnight

By Lily Brooks-Dalton This one follows a crew of six astronauts on their return trip from Jupiter after an unnamed cataclysmic event has happened back on earth, shutting down their contact with Mission Control. We also follow a brilliant astronomer living in the Arctic tundra as he too is cut off from the rest of humanity. It’s beautiful and fascinating.

The Longest Night

By Andria Williams Paul Collier moves his family to Idaho Falls for a job overseeing one of America’s first nuclear reactors.

Through a cast of flawed but empathetic characters, we see the delicate intricacies of marriage and the bounds of community set inside the tension of America’s early nuclear age.

The Last Days of Night

By Graham Moore I never knew the battle surrounding the invention of the lightbulb and AC/DC current could be so intriguing! This is fantastic historical fiction about a time and subject rarely covered.

Flight of Dreams

By Ariel Lawhon This is a fictional account of the final flight of the Hindenburg zeppelin. The author did meticulous research on the event itself and the people on board, giving us a layered and emotional tale held together by tragic and illuminating facts.

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SCHOOL

&SPORTS

THE MAGIC OF COACH SILLS

Steve Sills uses his amazing ability to connect with students to show that kindness really is cool.

BY SUZANNE MILLS PHOTOS BY LINDSEY CULVER HomewoodLife.com 25

Coach Steve Sills leads a Trendsetters meeting at Homewood Middle School.

T

The most popular guy at Homewood Middle School might not be a student—it just might be (gasp!) a teacher. High fives and lit-up faces welcome Coach Steve Sills as he walks down the hallways. The feeling is mutual. Sills, who works as a career and character teacher, seventh-grade head football coach, and seventh and eighth grade assistant track coach, doesn’t just love his job, he loves these students.

Recognizing his rapport with kids, Sills aimed to make a lasting impact on their lives by forming Men Striving for Success about 10 years ago. The group later evolved into Trendsetters in order to include girls. “This is a group of young men and ladies who want to become leaders in the school and the community,” he says.

Sills demonstrates how true leadership comes from helping others. Whether they’re collecting supplies for hurricane victims, packing food for Stop Hunger Now or assisting those with special needs at Homewood’s Exceptional Foundation (just to name a few), these students dive headfirst to make a positive mark on the world. Sills can also be found using his DJ skills at fundraisers for the group’s favorite charities.

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However, one of the most memorable causes emerged from a Trendsetter who was diagnosed with a brain tumor several years ago. The entire group rallied behind him.

They designed and sold bracelets to raise money for his medical bills. “To see all of the Trendsetters come together to help him made that one of the most powerful years for me,” Sills says.

Finding hope in life’s hardships is a skill he tries to pass to the students. “You shouldn’t hide your gifts just because you see your flaws and think you’re not qualified to do something,” he says. Sills turns to Trendsetter alumni to reinforce some of these lessons. By speaking about their experiences with drugs and peer pressure, these young people help prepare the Trendsetters for the difficult issues teenagers face.

More importantly, the kids are listening to the messages he’s sending. “Coach Sills is the kind of person kids want to be like when they grow up,” says eighth-grade Trendsetter Lily Prewitt. While Sills feels humbled by such statements, those who know him best understand why students feel connected to him.

“He sees potential in all kids regardless of their

Coach Steve Sills also DJs for events like the Homewood Witches Ride (pictured).

PHOTO BY LAINE WHITE

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WHAT STUDENTS SAY When asked to give three words to describe Coach Sills, both current and former Homewood Middle School students happily shared their thoughts.

“Hip, friend, amazing” — Lindley Smith, 8th Grade “Honesty, encouraging, integrity” — Mitchell Prewitt, 9th Grade “Funny, selfless, inspiring” — Lily Prewitt, 8th Grade “Fun, kind, encouraging” — James McKittrick, 7th Grade “Creative, experienced, open” — Christopher Steele, 8th Grade “Encouraging, inspiring, role model” — Fiona Mullins, 8th Grade “Snazzy, leader, fair” — Patton Biggs, 7th Grade “Down-to-earth, kind, awesome” —Harris Fowlkes, 6th Grade

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PHOTO BY JAMES CULVER

background and wants them to enjoy their middle school experience,” explains Sills’s wife, Lori, who works as the registrar at Hall-Kent. “He gives students an opportunity to highlight their talents that may not get shown in the classroom.”

Students aren’t the only ones who admire him—parents also sing his praises. “What a gift we have in Coach Sills!” says Mary Biggs, mother of seventh-grade Trendsetter Patton Biggs. “The students look up to him, confide in him, and have a blast with him.”

Despite Sills’s obvious talent for relating to kids, he’s actually surprised to be in his position. A Chattanooga native, he played football at Tennessee Tech. He believed professional football would be his future. Arena football brought him to the Birmingham area, but he eventually had to let go of the dream.

“It hurt when that wasn’t in the cards for me,” he admits. “But I’m thankful for where I am now.”

Sills adds that he’s especially grateful for the family he has here. He beams with pride when talking about Lori and their three daughters, 16-year-old Homewood High student Makiyah, 11-year-old Hall-Kent student Kaylee and 2-year-old Skylar.

Lori says the girls love the attention they get from their dad’s popularity. “It doesn’t bother them one bit that they have to share him with so many other kids,” she says. “He always makes sure that he gets one-on-one time with each of them.”

With so much positive momentum flowing, Sills plans to keep moving forward. He hopes to grow as both a coach and a mentor.

Even when doubts hit him, he says Maya Angelou’s famous quote helps keep him focused: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” For everyone who knows him, these words also explain why he is so loved.

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SCHOOLS & SPORTS

5

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR

Scott Thorne

Director of Show Choirs Homewood High School PHOTO BY SCOTT BUTLER

Last year Homewood High School’s The Network show choir won four out of five contests they entered, and the only choir to beat them is the No. 1 in the country out of Clinton, Mississippi. But for director Scott Thorne, now 15 years into the job at Homewood, it’s all about far more than winning—or even singing and dancing. Make plans to attend a show sometime soon, but first get to know Scott a bit below.

How did you get to this position?

It was a strange route. I went to a high school in southeast Alabama that had no choir. There was this girl I was great friends with and had a little crush on who was going to the junior college close by, and she said, “You should come sing in the choir.

It’s got a scholarship.” I didn’t know if I was going to be able to sing, but I got there and I loved it and ended up majoring in music. Then I saw Enterprise High School’s show choir, and I said, “That’s what I want to do.” When I graduated from Auburn, I went to Eufala. They didn’t have a show choir, so when I walked in the first day, I said, “What do y’all think about being in a show choir?” They said, “What’s that?”

Within four years, they were winning some awards. Homewood was the pinnacle to me of what show choir in Alabama was. I remember seeing people with their kids walking down the street, and I remember thinking, “Oh my goodness, this is home!”

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Can you talk about last year’s show?

It was about grieving because that senior class had gone through that with me when my mother died. In the recordings of the judges’ comments, they would get the ballad and you’d hear them sniffing in the background. We have all had reasons to grieve. If the kids buy into it, they are going What stands out from the past 15 years to sell it. I try to find things that are relatable to what they are going through. at Homewood?

My mother was my biggest fan, and she got diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer You were diagnosed with multiple in 2009. The 2011-2012 year I put together sclerosis a few years ago. How have you a show about her journey in life, about been active to fight it?

I am a captain of an MS walk team, and trying to overcome the obstacles and going one more day. I never told the kids what it the kids are my team. I also started a big was about, just that it was about adversity. fundraiser called BourbonHam (bourbonI told them right before we went into warm ham.com), a bourbon and barbecue event up at a competition what the show was in January. It’s given me a passion away about, and she came into warm up and into from my primary passion, and I want my the center of the circle and the kids sang. kids to see me doing the walk team because that’s what you do is go out there and be That was a pretty powerful moment. involved.

What do you love about your job?

I think people often spend too much time teaching music, and they forget to teach kids. I love watching them grow and seeing confidence built. I want it to be something really meaningful, not just singing and dancing.

&DRINK

FOOD

BIG BAD BREAKFAST What you need to know about Homewood’s new breakfast joint.

BY MADOLINE MARKHAM PHOTOS BY LINDSEY CULVER HomewoodLife.com 31

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You can’t really understand the heart of Big Bad Breakfast unless you try its sausage. The recipe is founding chef John Currence’s grandfather’s, the one he had used in his general store in North Carolina. “When they would have their community hog slaughter, my grandfather’s job was taking the scraps and making a breakfast sausage, and it was particularly loved,” Currence recounts. “When we made it the very first time in Oxford, it literally brought me to tears because I hadn’t tasted it in 20 years since he passed away. That memory all came back in one bite.”

Yes, the new Homewood iteration of the Mississippi eatery calls itself “fine dining breakfast,” but what you really need to know is its soul is about story, it’s about significance. And a lot of that is centered up I-65 near Cullman with a hog farm that’s all about raising livestock humanely and processing it as close to the farm as possible.

The FatBack Collective, spearheaded by Currence and Jim

‘N Nick’s Nick Pihakis along with other Southern chefs, challenges the status quo of farming while working with a heritage breed known for its flavor, tenderness, fat marbling, durability in certain climates—and fostering good mothering instincts in the sows.

So when you open the BBB menu, look over the yellow box on the left for the Fatback Andouille and Fatback Bacon, and you’ll know its story. In fact, all BBB pork is FatBack pork. The high principled sourcing carries throughout the menu too. “We are not using any kind of store-bought or off-the-truck foods,” Currence will tell you. “We use McEwen & Sons grits. We make all our jellies and jams from seasonal fruits when they are available to us. Our bacon is cured with Tabasco and brown sugar and plays perfectly with our breakfast sandwich. Chef Jason Davis is making our house table hot sauce. Our biscuits are made from scratch everyday with only White Lily flour— HomewoodLife.com 33

after tasting a dozen and a half different flours that make it rise and taste good. We have developed thoughtful cocktail program with fresh juices we squeeze.”

And Currence knows what he’s talking about. He was born in New Orleans, opened City Grocery in Oxford, Mississippi, in 1992, picked up a famed James Beard award for Best Chef South in 2009—and now has brought his Big Bad Breakfast restaurant to Homewood. He teamed up with Nick Pihakis of Jim ‘N Nick’s and his team to open the breakfast concept on Highway 280 in 2014, and the new restaurant in the former Steep & Deep location on 29th Avenue South opened for business in January.

“In the age of exploding restaurants, nobody had tackled

the breakfast hour from a chef standpoint,” Currence says of the concept’s origins. “We spent all this energy on how to elevate lunch and dinner and reinvent dishes and outdo one another, but no chefs had jumped in and said, ‘What if we applied these same principals to breakfast?’ You had been told your whole life it was the most important meal of the day but it had never had its due. “ The result is a plethora of elevated classics like the Cathead Biscuit: a flaky black pepper biscuit topped with chicken tenders and sausage gravy, with cheddar cheese melted on top. The “basic” Big Bad Breakfast Plate comes with two eggs, choice of meat, bread and a side and is far from ordinary with its ingredient quality. Another

Avacado Toast

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Chef John Currence first developed the Big Bad Breakfast concept in Oxford, Mississippi.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BIG BAD BREAKFAST

specialty, the “Crumble” tops a crumbled biscuit with grits, tomato gravy, crumbled bacon, a poached egg and green onions. Unique to the Homewood location, the Huevos Rancheros Grit Bowl is topped with chicken sausage, spicy black beans, crispy tortillas and poached eggs.

Not feeling a heavy breakfast? Try the Avocado Toast with far more than avocado—pico de gallo, arugula, chili flakes and of course poached eggs, because what’s breakfast without eggs? You can also pack in your veggies (avocado, spinach, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, mushrooms,

potatoes and herbs) in a Yard Work Skillet encased in eggs and Swiss. Not in the mood for breakfast? You can’t go wrong with the burger (order it with cheddar in place of American and spicy bacon, which isn’t that spicy) served on a Continental Bakery bun, or the Cobb Salad, filled with moist and tender turkey breast roasted in-house.

No matter the menu item, expect it to come with a generous serving of Southern hospitality. Mary Ann Saylor, who runs the front of house, is quick to talk about how they train their staff: “You use your manners. You HomewoodLife.com 35

speak in a complete sentence. You don’t say ‘no problem’ or ‘you’re welcome.’ You say, ‘certainly,’ ‘of course,’ ‘absolutely…’

Breakfast tends to be a very personal meal for people, you have to get it right. It holds so many memories, so we have to have chefs who understand how you want your eggs and wait staff who understand what questions to ask.”

While Currence hails from Mississippi, Saylor and other Homewood staff members came up in the best of Birmingham’s food scene. In fact, Saylor worked for years with BBB Homewood general manager and chef James Claborne at Bottega Café before she joined Fresh Hospitality Group, the umbrella brand for BBB, Little Donkey, Saigon Noodle House, Taziki’s and more.

Much of their staff have been in Birmingham restaurants too, but the first Sunday BBB was open they were a bit surprised by what they found. “They were saying, ‘All the guests know each other,’” Mary Ann recounts. But she knew where they were now. “It’s going to happen a lot, we’re in Homewood,” she told them.

Big Bad Breakfast’s hours are 7 a.m.-3 p.m. daily. If you want to GPS it, search for 1926 29th Avenue South, Homewood, AL 35209.

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JACKSON’S SANGRIA Move over wine by the glass, Jackson’s Sangria will delight your taste buds with a fruit-forward flair. A southern twist on a Spanish staple, this brandyinfused slow-sipper swaps out the rum for a more sophisticated sweetness.

PHOTO BY EMMA SIMMONS

FOOD & DRINK

WHAT’S IN IT • • • • • • • •

½ ounce grenadine ½ ounce lime juice 1 ounce orange juice 1 ounce pineapple juice 1 ¼ ounces brandy 3 ounces house red wine Lemon wedge, for garnish Marachino cherry, for garnish

HOW TO MAKE IT Pour the grenadine and lime juice into a stemless wine glass. Fill the glass to the top with ice, and then add the orange and pineapple juices. Add the brandy, and then top off with red wine. Garnish with a freshly sliced lemon wedge and a maraschino cherry.

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FOOD & DRINK

5

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR

Hannah and Greg Slamen Lucky Cat Rolled Creams Owners

PHOTO BY EMMA SIMMONS

Hannah and Greg Slamen have always liked to cook and have dinner parties, but when they started making rolled ice cream, they found their friends liked it even better than their dinners. Not too many months later, they’ve brought the concept to 18th Street. But wait, what exactly is rolled ice cream? Here’s what they told us.

What will we find on your menu?

Hannah: The Daily is Oreo cookies and cream with strawberry powder dusted on top and whipped cream. The Trolley is a Ghirardelli chocolate and caramel and a brownie, and then more chocolate and caramel sauce and then chocolate sticks.

The Ginger Peach is a crystallized ginger How exactly does ice cream get rolled? and peach reduction with white chocolate Hannah: The ice pan is just like a sticks on top. Our Fairy Tale is hibachi grill but it’s cold. We roll it at -19 marshmallow fluff and rainbow sprinkles degrees Celsius. You pour an ice cream and a mini cone. In the summer we do a base—what you would put into your ice basil lemon and a strawberry buttermilk. cream maker—and you chop in your When figs were in season, we did a ingredients. That chopping is mimicking cardamom and muscovado sugar and What came next in the story?

Hannah: I’m from Sacramento and the arm churning of an old-fashioned ice Turkish honey, and we chopped it with went to a rolled ice cream shop there a year cream. You are mixing in the oxygen and fresh figs. ago and asked a bunch of questions. Last it’s turning into soft serve in a minute and April I decided to order the pan from Hong a half to two minutes, and then you spread What else is in store for the future?

Hannah: We might do a monthly Kong. I would take ice cream to neighbors it thin into a rectangular and it hardens up.

The trick is to roll it once it gets hard brunch with Brie sandwiches and on my block every other day.

Greg: The neighbors said, “This is enough but is not ice. We get about four to champagne. We want to do chicken and amazing!” You can use really good fresh five rolls per serving, and put it in a cup waffle cones and things that are a play off our concept and our ingredients. Greg ingredients. It adheres to a lot of our and throw toppings on it. wants to do curated cheese plates. philosophy about food—local, good, Where did the idea for rolled ice cream come from?

Hannah: For 10 years we have been trying to come up with a food concept to do that’s our own. Greg comes up with all kinds of ideas, and ice cream was the first one I felt like I could wrap my head around that was doable. One of my friends sent us this YouTube video of this style of rolled ice cream, and we were totally intrigued and stalked it on YouTube and Instagram.

We figured out when it started coming to the United States and who was doing what.

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organic, minimally processed food.

Hannah: It was making our friends happy. That was what made us take it from this little idea. I don’t think I realized how much people love ice cream, but people get really excited about it. I do feel like we are giving someone joy.

&STYLE

HOME

LIGHT & BRIGHT Rustic wood accents the neutral palette of the Tanners’ Hollywood home.

BY MADOLINE MARKHAM PHOTOS BY ROB CULPEPPER HomewoodLife.com 39

T

Homeowners Lauren and Brian Tanner with their children PHOTO BY LAUREN USTAD

Two specific moments stand out to Lauren Tanner from the road to building her family’s dream home. The first was the day her husband Brian came home, or rather didn’t come home, from a quick trip to the Piggly Wiggly to get a couple of things for their kids’ dinner. As it turns out, he had taken a detour through Hollywood and stopped to talk to an elderly woman about her house. To clarify, the home wasn’t on the market, and Brian had driven by this house numerous times hoping for a chance to meet the owner. “When they finally met, they started talking in the front yard, and we had a contract on the house the next day,” Lauren says.

The second was the day their architect Richard Long showed her and Brian the first sketch of the house they wanted to build on the lot. “We thought, ‘That’s the house we want, don’t change a thing!’” Lauren recalls, still a bit surprised by the fact since hers and Brian’s tastes aren’t always the same.

The Tanners knew they were in a front-yard neighborhood, so the deep front porch, replete with the gas lanterns Lauren knew she wanted, anchors the architectural design. With their four kids almost always outside, this has become the space where they spend the most time as a family, with light flowing past them into their hardestworking indoor spaces. Three sets of doors along the porch act as a wall of windows into the living room that draw in lots of natural light—a feature Lauren also loves about

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windows in their kitchen as well as, surprisingly, the secondfloor laundry room and master bedroom closet.

The home’s interior boasts a neutral palette with distinctly rustic wood accents and 10-foot ceilings on the main floor. Creamy white shiplap lines the kitchen and living areas as well as the upstairs hallway, wood cased openings lead into the living room from two directions, and wooden planks line their ceilings on the main level. Down below, the hardwood floors are a white oak too, varying in width from 6 to 8 inches. “I love the wood,” Lauren says. “It adds warmth to the all-white look and makes it feel more homey.”

Richard along with Susan Gray of Susan Gray Design worked together from the beginning of the project to pull all of the details together Lauren and Brian wanted in their new home, with lighting, flooring, color palette and architectural details creating the flow and overall look they envisioned. As the home neared completion, Shea Bryars of Shea Bryars Design came in to work with Lauren on interior design and furnishings.

Before they got to the point of building this house, the Tanners had lived in several Homewood houses. They’d remodeled an old house on Hambaugh Avenue in Edgewood.

They’d lived in a newer one on Yorkshire. But this time they wanted to build exactly what they wanted from the ground up. “There were so many possibilities,” Lauren says. “That was fun.”

Kitchen At the heart of the house, the Tanners wanted their kitchen to be spacious and functional, with a mudroom locker space for their kids, office for Lauren and large pantry right off of it. There’s ample seating at the large island for kids to eat and work while Lauren cooks.

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Living Room Rustic wooden cased openings and Benjamin Moore dove wingcolored shiplap walls provide neutral bases for this space that carries over into the built-in bookshelves (with inset windows) and fireplace as well as the decor. Lauren had had a lot of color in her previous homes but decided to go in a different direction this time as she worked with interior designer Shea Bryars. “We wanted to keep it clean with simple lines,� Lauren says.

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Master Bathroom Resembling an Oushak rug, this tile design adds a textured look to the classic marble and light-colored cabinet faces. The other stand-out of this room is the massive shower.

Master Closet The Tanners didn’t want their bathtub at the front of the house, so instead they took a turn outside convention and put the closet there. A large wall boasting artwork is visible in front of the window, but unbeknownst to passersby, behind it is a built-in vanity and traditional closet space inside of built-in cabinets.

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BEHIND THE SCENES Architecture: Richard Long, Long & Long Design

Design: Susan Gray, Susan Gray Design Interior Design: Shea Bryars, Shea Bryars Design

Cabinet Hardware: Brandino Brass

Countertops and Tile: Triton Stone Select Lighting: Circa

Plumbing Fixtures: Ferguson Appliances: Siano

Front Door: Woodworking Dynamics

Other Doors & Windows: Holcombe Doors & Windows

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Bunk Room Each of the four Tanner kids wanted their own room, so instead of a guest room sleep-over guests stay in this cozy space with built-in beds. Plus, all four get excited to sleep on the bunks together on special occasions like Christmas. Each bed has its own antique-style reading light, and center antique hanging light from Siebel’s adds a rustic charm to the space.

Front Door Inspired by a magazine photo she saw, Lauren worked with a woodworker out of Montgomery to design this rustic white oak statement maker with leaded glass.

HomewoodLife.com 45

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Dining Room The rustic diamond patterned ceiling made of pecky cypress draws interest to the eye. The table Lauren grew up eating around anchors the space, with a built-in cabinet in the same grey as the kitchen cabinets (Farrow and Ball Mole’s Breath) on one end. Portraits of their four kids— triplets age 9 and a daughter age 12—line the wall that is on the kitchen side of the room.

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Stars&Stripes IN STYLE

By Kayley Coggins Photos by Lauren Ustad

1 3

2 1. GOLD STAR EARRING BY YUNIS K Add sparkle to any outfit with this touch of flair.

Hemline | $80

2. STRIPE BUTTON DOWN TOP BY FABRIK This tie top is another great trend for the spring.

Fab’rik | $59

3. ARMY GREEN JACKET BY MCGUIRE The subtle star details on the jacket adds a touch of the celestial spring trend.

The Moody Rabbit | $238

4. JEANS BY AGOLDE These high rise, dark grey skinny jeans will give a great contrast to any spring top and transition into any season.

Hemline | $140

5. TAN HEELS BY NEW LOOK Comfortable and stylish, these heels have all the essentials of spring. a.k.a Girl Stuff | $114

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5 4

1 K O LO

1. LIGHT GREY SUNGLASSES

LOOK 2

Don’t forget the shades.

Hemline | $15

1

2. STRIPE BUTTON UP DRESS BY SNEAK PEEK Layering this dress over jeans or another dress brings great versatility to your wardrobe.

The Dress Shop on Linden | $39.50

2

3. GREEN RIBBED DRESS BY PINK MARTINI COLLECTION Wear this dress for a night out or add layers for everyday wear.

The Dress Shop on Linden | $84

4. BLACK BOOTIES BY QUPID

3

Pair your favorite booties with a great dress while you transition to spring.

Fab’rik | $48

4

5. STAR CHOKER Accessorize with celestial flair with this piece.

Fab’rik | $12

5

ACCESSORIZE

1 2

Kayley Coggins is a wardrobe consultant and stylist who believes that fashion is a tool to help you feel beautiful in every season.

3

1.TAN MAURA BACKPACK BY LOYAL STICKLIN This beautiful leather bag is the must-have travel necessity for spring travel.

The Moody Rabbit | $550

2. AMPERSAND TRAVEL WALLET

3. PINK CORKCICLE CANTEEN

This “N is for… never stop exploring” travel wallet will keep you inspired and organized. a.k.a Girl Stuff | $59

Stay hydrated as you wander through your spring break destination with this cool canteen. a.k.a Girl Stuff | $34

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The Briary owner Skip Elliott makes (and smokes) handmade pipes.

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Homewood’s Own Gentleman’s Quarters The magic of The Briary’s smoking room is not just about tobacco, although it certainly has that too.

O

BY MELANIE PEEPLES PHOTOS BY MARY FEHR

Once upon a time men smoked pipes. You’ve seen pictures. Wool sweaters, tweed jackets, patches on the elbows. Think Hemingway.

Mark Twain. Sherlock Holmes. In the 1920s, university fraternities used to give potential pledges pipes as a way to recruit them, so they could all sit around thinking deep thoughts, and puffing languidly, apparently.

And make no mistake, sitting around together was a big part of it. And still is today. Drop by The Briary in Homewood, and it’s like taking a journey into Man’s Land, taking a peek behind the curtain.

Women have salons, and sure, men still have barbershops. But the pace is too fast.

You could never smoke a pipe in a barbershop. For one thing it’s probably illegal, but for another, smoking a pipe takes time. It is not a quick tobacco fix. It, too, is a journey, beginning with selecting a pipe, a tobacco blend, tamping it down just right in the bowl—three times, usually—and then the lighting, best done with a special lighter so that you don’t burn your fingers. And then you can’t puff it too quickly, or it will get too hot and not burn properly. It goes puff, pause, talk, think, maybe puff again.

But neither the ritual itself nor the hundreds of tobacco blends the store sells is where the magic is at The Briary.

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Aubrey Rush, 25, is a tobaconnist at The Briary in West Homewood.

The magic is in the smoking room: three dark leather couches in a room off to the side, with wood plank walls, ceiling and floor. There’s a TV used on game days next to a coat rack holding a jacket and a New York Yankees cap that have been there so long no one can remember who they belong to. But there they remain, like everyone’s just waiting for an old friend to walk back in the door and take a seat.

The eclectic photographs and artwork on the walls certainly invite conversation. There’s everything from a Hawaiian petroglyph to a photo of a Confederate soldier (owner Skip Elliot’s great-grandfather who was conscripted into service in North Carolina) framed with actual Confederate money. It’s history, Skip says, not an endorsement of either side. On the opposite wall hangs a photo of an American soldier in Afghanistan smoking a 52 HomewoodLife.com

pipe. Turns out the soldier’s friend came in one day wanting to put together a care package for his buddy in the Army. Skip gave him the pipe, with the caveat that he wanted to see a picture of the soldier smoking it in Afghanistan. So when the photo arrived, up it went on the wall.

On this random weekday morning, Michael Fierman is perched at one end of a couch, balancing a laptop on his thighs. Michael works for a drug and alcohol treatment center and spends his days visiting therapists, treatment centers and interventions, so The Briary has become his mobile office. He says there’s a regular crew here by 10 most mornings. So regular, he says with a chuckle, “We’ve discussed putting a clock-in station.”

Almost on cue, in walks Warren Wynn, who retired last year and seems to have traded reporting to work each day

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Warren Wynn retired recently and now hangs out at The Briary regularly.

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for reporting to The Briary. (Though he says he also visits the gym and works on home projects.) “There’s a lot of really great people who come in here,” he says. “A lot of college students, tenured professors.” He jokes that the professors hang around hoping someone brought in some booze.

On this particular morning it’s Warren who has brought in a little bourbon, which he sips slower than he smokes.

And he says he only smokes when he’s here, an amount that adds up to just two to three pipe bowls of tobacco a week. “This is how I control it,” he says. “You gotta do it in moderation.”

I ask why they hang out here, why not a bar, for example.

“Bar people aren’t that interesting,” he quips. He seems

particularly fond of an anatomy professor at UAB who likes to play chess and may or not have recently beaten a former Auburn football player, who’s also a regular here.

Warren hears the front door open, and his eyes light up.

“Is that Barger?” he yells, and a chorus of “Barger!” rises up. The anatomy professor from UAB has arrived and, hailed appropriately, settles in to a seat before lighting up and holding court.

It’s clear they are not just here for the tobacco, although The Briary sells hundreds of blends of tobacco, has a roomsized humidor for cigars and gorgeous handmade pipes that look like works of art and sell for as much as $1,400.

(Skip Elliott even makes handmade pipes, the kind that land in glossy magazine photos.) No, the men are here HomewoodLife.com 55

because owner Skip (Albert Augustus Elliott, III, if you want to get formal about it) has created a place where people find a home. Even Pat the Cat, a stray who smelled chicken fingers and wandered up onto the porch one day two years ago, decided to stay. (She was given the androgynous name Pat because they named her before a trip to the vet could confirm whether she’s a boy or girl.)

Pat has the run of the place and isn’t shy about plopping herself into new friends’ laps.

The Briary hasn’t always been in its current location. It got its start in 1974 as Skip’s father’s store in Brookwood Mall, part of The Tinder Box franchise. Skip started working there at the age of 21 and bought the business

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from his father when he retired in 1984. Skip left the franchise in ‘89, and the mall in 2000, after seeing the current location’s 1899 farmhouse and its expansive front porch in West Homewood. He knew it was perfect for what he wanted. The name, “The Briary,” by the way, reflects the term “briar,” which is a type of wood favored in making pipes because it has a high heat tolerance.

Tolerance abounds at The Briary, where patrons make themselves at home and regulars are allowed to slip into the back kitchen when they need to make a private phone call. “People get very involved,” Skip says. Like they have a stake in this place. “One guy comes in every afternoon and cleans things,” he says. Another guy likes hot tea, and

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MEET AUBREY RUSH Age: 25 (Self-imposed) Job Title: Greatest Tobacconist in the Country

What is a tobacconist?

The big deal about a tobacconist is you get to taste several different tobaccos. It’s all about knowing how to blend and find the mixtures that people want. Asking a few people a couple questions on what they like to taste I can find whatever tobacco they want.

How great is your palate?

If it’s a Virginia blend, I can tell you what field it’s from.

How old were you when you smoked your first tobacco?

I stole one of my uncle’s cigars when I was a kid (11). I hated it then. Like all kids, it made me sick.

What makes smoking a pipe different from a cigarette or a cigar?

When you’re smoking cigarettes, you’re getting a quick nicotine fix. You’re not trying to taste the tobacco. Pipe tobacco is more like tasting wine. You want to taste the different places, the different blends, different leaves. You want to taste all of that. And developing that palate is one of the big things for pipe tobacco. A cigar is more of a social thing. While you’re still tasting the blends and everything, more people smoke cigars when they get together and have a celebration and things like that.

How long does it take to smoke a pipe bowl?

Your average bowl takes about 30 to 40 minutes. It’s more the meditative period.

You’re taking time in your day to slow down.

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Pat the Cat is another regular at The Briary.

when Skip’s coffee maker quit working, he kept forgetting to buy a new one (because he doesn’t drink coffee) so the tea-drinking guy finally just brought one in. “People who don’t even smoke come here,” he says.

The only thing missing from The Briary is someone named Bob. There’s a sign above the smoking room doorway, simply reading “Bob’s room.” Turns out, Bob was an attorney who showed up at 11 a.m. every day. “He had his own spot,” Skip says, pointing to the end of the couch we’re sitting on. “Everybody went to him with his problems,” he says. And he helped them. But when alcohol began to overtake his own life, Skip says Bob didn’t have that person to help him. “That’s what Bob’s room is about.”

It’s a brotherhood, forged not in blood, and maybe not even in tobacco, but simply the shared experience of being boys who grew up and still need a clubhouse.

The Briary is located at 609 Oak Grove Road in West Homewood. To learn more, visit thebriary.com.

HomewoodLife.com 59

Natural Wonder

Landscape architect Jane Reed Ross gets energy from nature, and wields that powerful spark to give forgotten spaces new life.

BY JENNIFER BRUNNEMER SLATON | PHOTOS BY REBECCA WISE 60 HomewoodLife.com

Landscape architect Jane Reed Ross led the vision behind Homewood Central Park’s redesign.

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P

Perched on a stool at the kitchen counter of her 1947 Edgewood bungalow, with a full moon casting light on the courtyard just outside, Jane Reed Ross watches her husband, Neil, cook. It’s one of her favorite things to do here at the cottage they’ve owned for nearly 30 years, where they’ve raised two sons now in their 20s. Tonight, as he shepherds andouille sausages and root vegetables in a sizzling pan along with herbs from their garden, Jane talks about dieting—but not the usual kind.

“We’re putting 18th Street on a road diet,” she says, referring to the stretch between Rosedale Drive and 28th Avenue South in downtown Homewood. “You know how wide, wide, wide the street is there. We’re going to slim it up, add trees, parking and a sidewalk. It’s going to be more intimate, a nice, safe, pedestrian-friendly feel.”

Jane is the right person for the reimagining.

As lead landscape architect of Goodwyn Mills Cawood’s Birmingham office, and as owner of her own landscape architecture firm in past years, she has designed some of

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the most beloved public and private outdoor spaces in Homewood and beyond. She sees past what’s worn and dysfunctional and transforms it for the greener. If you’ve ever enjoyed Homewood’s Shades Creek Greenway, Homewood Central Park, the Red Rock Trail System and the Rotary Trail, or Birmingham Children’s Zoo (just a partial list), you’ve experienced Jane’s metamorphic design vision.

Homewood Mayor Scott McBrayer was a city council member in 2003 when the Shades Creek Greenway opened and began enchanting walkers, runners, roller bladers, bicyclists and birdwatchers alike. “Jane really educated us and did an excellent job convincing Homewood that it would be good for the city,” he says of the 3-mile paved trail that winds along Shades Creek and Lakeshore Drive between Columbiana Road and Brookwood Village. “Jane is a joy to work with and so creative,” he says, “letting you see the possibilities of a project before you get started. She can take a blank canvas, paint the whole picture, and say,

‘If we do this, this, and this, here’s what it’ll look like in the end.’”

Jane has learned reaching that end result in the public sector calls for time and patience. “These kinds of projects take years to develop,” she says, having first started concepts and funding attempts for a Shades Creek trail in the early 1990s. “You have to gain consensus and keep pushing it along for it to weather.

Things that are worthy, people will come back to them.”

There are plans to extend the trail to West Homewood Park in one direction and Mountain Brook’s Jemison Park in the other.

The combined 6 miles will connect three major neighborhoods, two high schools, one university, two parks and three shopping districts, with the potential to expand even further to Red Mountain Park and beyond, as part of the Red Rock Ridge Trail System that Jane’s GMC team designed along with the Fresh Water Land Trust. “That’s what I love, connecting the dots, creating spaces where people can enjoy active lifestyles,” she says.

The Huntsville native grew up helping tend her family’s huge vegetable garden, but it was the trails and parks of Washington, HomewoodLife.com 63

JANE’S LANDSCAPING 411 The Secret to Having a Green Thumb: Manure. I grew up gardening with my dad, who grew up gardening on the farm, and he taught me early that manure is key to organic components in the soil. The best fertilizer you can get.

Favorite Ground Cover: Asiatic jasmine.

It grows in sun or shade, so when you have a yard with both conditions, you can do a continuous swath for a big green carpet statement. You need to edge it; it will grow into the street.

Biggest Mistake Home Gardeners Make: Placing a plant in the wrong spot, such as a tall tree under a power line or a large shrub in front of a window, which will require constant pruning.

Top Low-Maintenance Plant: Oak leaf hydrangea is one of my favorites, a gorgeous plant that’s native to our area.

Good in shade and part sun.

Advice for Starting a Landscape Renovation: Look at how you live and what’s important to you. Usually when I work on a residence, I try to provide a flow of indoor/outdoor spaces. Our den and kitchen open onto our patio and courtyard, so we have good flow. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere without that.

An Outdoor ‘Room’ is Incomplete Without: Comfortable seating. A place for everyone to gather around a table. The sound of trickling water in a fountain. And either a view from beyond or a natural buffer creating your view in the foreground.

That might be the fountain and a multitrunk serviceberry, or a lawn, or a bed of ferns under a holly tree.

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D.C., that sparked her passion for connected public spaces. While pursuing her landscape architecture degree from Auburn, she spent five summers interning in D.C. “I rode my bike everywhere—taking the Rock Creek Park and George Washington Memorial Parkway from Maryland, where I lived, to Mount Vernon, George Washington’s house in Virginia. For a landscape architect to experience all those public spaces, trails and parks was great for my design vocabulary, and it was wonderful to see how they improved people’s quality of life. So to venture with the Shades Creek Greenway and create something like that here—that was big, that was fun.”

And fun seems to be the common denominator between Jane’s creative process and the experience people have in the spaces she designs. Ashley Groves, who works near the greenway, runs on it regularly. “I’m always happy there,” she says. “You feel like you’ve escaped to a secret wilderness in the city, and everybody you encounter seems so glad to be there, enjoying nature.”

Plentiful positive feedback to the trail helped Jane land her next big Homewood transformation project. “I love it when your client demands the best and wants to do something really creative and break some eggs,” she says.

“And we broke some eggs on Homewood Central Park.” A straight-line channeled creek with concrete block walls and chain link fence divided the

Jane Reed Ross helped convince Homewood’s government that a greenway would be good for the city.

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park into two awkward pieces, and during peak storms, the rushing water caused flooding issues. “People with houses that backed up to the creek downstream used to have to sandbag their homes,” says Jane. “We dechannelized and undulated it through the park, allowing it to flood the banks in storms and become slow-moving water, an environmentally sustainable thing to do.” That in turn opened a huge new lawn space, perfect for festivals and movie nights.

Melissa Mohon Francis grew up playing in the park in its “before” days. Twelve years ago, she and her husband moved from Chicago to a house a block from the space, after its transformation. “The park was one of the big reasons we bought the house. My children play there all the time,” she says, “and now we’re renovating for more room, because I can’t leave. The park is a part of my life,” says Francis, who walks her dog and roller skates with a friend there a few days a week. “After the improvements, you felt like you were going somewhere instead of just playing in the dirt pile. That creek used to be kind of gross, but when they put the bridge over it, it felt like the waterway was a beautiful flowing thing. It changed Homewood.”

When it comes to the most dramatic change of a public landscape, Jane says Birmingham’s Rotary Trail, completed in 2016, wins in her book. “It was such a blighted area. And dangerous. The concrete was falling in,” 66 HomewoodLife.com

she says of the former abandoned railroad bed that’s now a four-block linear park, dappled with river birches and ornamental grasses, benches and smartphone charging stations.

“There are people who think Birmingham is just evolving right now, but this renaissance that we’re experiencing didn’t happen overnight. It’s been a lot of people working hard for over 30 years,” says Ross, who is serving as state president of the American Society of Landscape Architects for the second time, her first 20 years ago. “I took the leadership on again because I believe it’s an important time in promoting public green space and sustainability. It’s key to our quality of life to reduce temperatures with green space and proper storm water management. The flooding in Houston is a perfect example of what happens with too much paving.”

Jane is also a firm believer in uplifting and energizing people through greater connection to the natural world.

“The Japanese do what’s called ‘forest bathing,’ absorbing oxygen from the trees,” she says. “And that improves well-being.” She gets particular energy from the tulip poplar. An avid landscape watercolor painter, she’s been painting tulip poplars all her life. “I really do think we absorb energy from plants. That’s why walking in nature is so important. Being able to create spaces where people can enjoy the outdoors is enriching beyond words. It’s a fun ride.”

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Jane Lamb’s son attended The Bell Center after he was born in 2005 and today she works at the center.

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A Jewel in Homewood’s Crown How The Bell Center’s unique community fosters support, going beyond physical needs.

W

BY SARAH WALLER | PHOTOS BY LINDSEY CULVER

Within the first 24 hours after her third son Graham was born with Down syndrome, Jane Lamb received several calls from people at her church. Their conversations all led to the same question, “Have you heard of The Bell Center?”

This was in 2005. Jane and her husband had moved to Homewood a year prior, and she had heard of The Bell Center through a friend. As a speech-language pathologist, she understood to an extent what the center did, but it wasn’t until she enrolled her two-week-old son into its programs that she came to fully understand its greater purpose.

Located off of Central Avenue in Homewood,

The Bell Center provides early intervention services—including speech-language pathology, physical therapy, occupational therapy and special education—to children, birth to 3 years old, with a range of needs and abilities.

Founded in 1984 by Betty Bell and the Service Guild of Birmingham, The Bell Center today serves more than 100 children each year. While many in Homewood know of The Bell Center and the services it provides, parents like Jane can tell us of why The Bell Center should be considered a jewel in Homewood’s crown—from its level of care that goes beyond a child’s physical needs to the support its unique

HomewoodLife.com 69

BE A BELLRUNNER For more than a decade, The Bell Center has partnered with Birmingham’s Mercedes Marathon to raise money for the center and the children it serves. The Bellrunners, as they call themselves, run in honor of a child currently enrolled at The Bell Center, wearing a photo of that child during the race.

Over time, this program has grown to include more than 300 participants in the 5K, half marathon, full marathon and fiveperson marathon relay teams. Consider participating in 2019!

Jennifer Andress, right, with The Bell Center founder Betty Bell, center

community fosters.

Last February, Katie Hollis gave birth to her third child, Hank. Despite arriving a few weeks early, nothing in her pregnancy or delivery alerted Katie and her husband that something was wrong. But few months later, Hank was acting sick. Thinking it was a cold, Katie took him to the doctor, but after they arrived, the doctor recommended Katie take Hank to the emergency room.

“Again, I just thought he was fighting some sort of infection. I thought they would give us antibiotics and fluids, and we would be on our way,” she says.

But things quickly escalated. While in the emergency room, Hank began to experience seizures. A CT scan showed brain injuries, but they did not know what caused them. Hank was admitted to Children’s of Alabama, where 70 HomewoodLife.com

they remained for a month. “Doctors finally diagnosed him with congenital toxoplasmosis, which is a rare infection he caught when I was pregnant with him. If affects his eye sight, his brain and, in turn, his development,” Katie says.

Having attended Samford University’s Ida Moffett School of Nursing, Katie had been to The Bell Center before—during her pediatric clinical rotation. With this experience, she knew it was where she wanted her son to be. Hank began therapy at the age of 3 months old.

“Entering this environment for the first time is hard, because I never knew this was going to be something I would have to do,” she says. “We had no idea that something was wrong with Hank when he was born, but The Bell Center definitely made the transition a little easier.”

Jane Lamb works with a current student at The Bell Center.

HomewoodLife.com 71

“

It’s hard to be a special needs parent, but The Bell Center makes it so much easier because they genuinely care.

-Katie Hollis

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”

COURTESY OF THE BELL CENTER

HomewoodLife.com 73

“

Of course, you have those moments when you think, ‘This is not what I signed up for,’ but then you show up and you realized everyone there is so happy and wonderful, providing you encouragement every step of the way.

-Jennifer Andress Today, Hank is approaching his first birthday. “It’s hard to be a special needs parent, but The Bell Center makes it so much easier because they genuinely care,” Katie says. “They are extraordinarily positive. They don’t treat Hank like he has a disability. Instead, they always look for his potential. Even if he screamed through the whole session—because he is still a baby—they always find a positive thing to say.”

While the state of Alabama does provide early intervention services for children that qualify, The Bell Center is unique because as a private entity they can accept children who may not qualify for the state programs. And while the state’s services provide the convenience of coming to a family’s home, The Bell Center offers all of its services in the same location, which has created a unique

74 HomewoodLife.com

”

community of parents, grandparents, siblings and friends that care and support one another.

For Jane, she has been the beneficiary of this community in more ways than one. “I met one of my closest friends on the first day we visited the Bell Center, and here we are—12 years later—still very close. Our kids have grown up together, and next year, they will transition into the sixth grade together.”

Today, Jane works at The Bell Center, a job she started right as her son was turning 3 years old and transitioning into the Homewood school system. With her office located right outside of one of the center’s larger classrooms, she is a witness to The Bell Center’s community at work.

“The community here is huge,” she says. “These support groups develop naturally with parents just dropping off

COURTESY OF THE BELL CENTER

their kids and standing in the hallway talking to each other. I often just sit here and listen to these friendships develop.”

For Jennifer Andress, a longtime Homewood resident and now city council member, it has been more than a decade since her two boys went to The Bell Center, but she still recalls how her first meeting with Betty Bell solidified not only their relationship but her commitment to the center.

Doctors diagnosed Jennifer’s oldest son with a hearing impairment when he was 11 months old. “It was a very overwhelming time—to hear that your son is not perfect, that he is moderately to severely hearing impaired. Plus, I was pregnant, and they told me his condition was genetic,” Jennifer says.

Her family’s pediatrician recommended The Bell Center, and she quickly made contact and scheduled a meeting with Betty Bell. Although Jennifer was born in

Birmingham, she grew up in Texas, and she is huge fan of the Texas Longhorns. “Going into this meeting, I was so overwhelmed. But when I walked in the door and saw Betty’s office was burnt orange, covered in Longhorn gear, I knew I was in the right place at the right time. God sent me there, and I’m still a volunteer to this day,” she says.

Jennifer ended up enrolling both of her sons at The Bell Center, and though they did not stay long, her dedication to the center, like so many of its volunteers, has never wavered. “As a parent, what you learn right away is that you have community there to help you,” she says. “You learn not to feel sorry for yourself because no one feels sorry for anyone. It’s amazing.

“Of course, you have those moments when you think, ‘This is not what I signed up for,’ but then you show up and you realized everyone there is so happy and wonderful, providing you encouragement every step of the way.”

HomewoodLife.com 75

Homewood Chamber of Commerce C O N N E C T I O N S

Happenings Thursday, March 1 First Thursday Art Stroll 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Downtown Homewood

The Homewood Chamber of Commerce Honors Outstanding Businesses and Volunteers at 2017 Annual Meeting

Thursday, March 8 Taste of Homewood 5:30- 8 p.m.

Rosewood Hall

Tuesday, March 20 March Membership Luncheon Featuring Guest Speaker Kyle Bass of Homewood Theatre 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

The Club

Saturday, March 24

While our 2017 Annual Meeting and December Membership luncheon served as the official launch of Homewood Forward, our new Strategic Plan, as always, we spent time celebrating the accomplishments of our Members on Tuesday, December 19, 2017 at The Club! A special thank you to our luncheon sponsor, VIVA Health,

and our guest speaker, Greg Barker of Alabama Power.

Also, congratulations to our award winners: Ambassador of the Year: Al Wood of Still Serving Veterans; Rising Star: Cookie Fix, Community Patriot: Red Hills Brewing Company (not pictured); and Business of the Year: Hoar Construction!

Hop ‘n Shop 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Downtown Homewood

Thursday, April 5 First Thursday Art Stroll 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Downtown Homewood

Tuesday, April 1 Annual Excellence in Education and April Membership Luncheon Sponsored by Homewood Life 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

The Club

7 HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD 76 HomewoodLife.com

For a list of participating restaurants and tickets—which are $30 until March 7 and $40 at the door—visit www. homewoodchamber.org.

HOMEWOOD, ALABAMA 35209

F i n d U s O n l i ne

Sign up for our weekly newsletter | Access our member directory Purchase Buy Local Homewood eGift Cards

Membership Luncheon Mayor Delivers 2018 State of the City Address at January Membership Luncheon As always, City of Homewood Mayor Scott McBrayer did an outstanding job giving his Annual State of the City Address at our January Membership Luncheon on Tuesday, January 23! Along with updating the city on the happenings of the past year and looking ahead to 2018, the following awards were presented. Lt. David Everson was honored as the Firefighter of the Year, Officer Matthew Green was honored

New Member Spotlight Galleria Woods Retirement Community

as the Police Officer of the Year (pictured), and Victor Dubose of the City’s Public Works Department was honored as the City Employee of the Year. Congratulations to all our award winners!

3850 Galleria Woods Drive Hoover, Alabama 35244 205-985-7537 www.brookdale.com/en/communities/galleria-woods.html

Homewood Police Foundation 1833 29th Avenue South Homewood, Alabama 35209 205-586-2038 Check out the Homewood Police Foundation on Facebook!

Total Skin & Beauty Dermatology Center

Save the date

2100 16th Avenue South Ash Place, Suite 202 Birmingham, Alabama 35205 205-933-0987 www.totalskinandbeauty.com

Saturday, May 5 For more information and the day’s itinerary, please visit www. homewoodparks.com.

Shades Creek Dental

1045 Broadway Park, Suite 101 Birmingham, Alabama 35209 850-380-6814 www.shadescreekdental.com

Lucky Cat Rolled Creams

2908 18th St S. Birmingham, Alabama 35209 205-407-4500 www.luckycatrolledcreams.com

Roly Poly Homewood

2910 18th St S, Homewood, Alabama 35209 www.rolypoly.com

205 - 871 - 5631

WWW.HOMEWOODCHAMBER.ORG HomewoodLife.com 77

OUT & ABOUT

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BAREFOOT IN THE PARK

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PHOTOS BY JAMES CULVER

Homewood Theatre presented its first production of 2018, Barefoot in the Park, Jan. 19-21 at The Dance Foundation.

1. Andy Bass, Sara James, Mike Cunliffe, Salena Stalker, Howard Green, Katherine Dean, Cyndy Uncapher and Kyle Bass 2. Sara James and Mike Cunliffe 3. Kathy Tidmore, Cameron Coomer and Kay Polk 4. Rick and Megan Pecot 5. Daphne Ellerbrock and Lynn Bass 6. Shirley, Mike and Hillis Cunliffe 7. Sheila Bruce, Karen Shallenberg and Cindy Hardy 8. Dave Hatchett, Rhonda Powell, Shirley Cunliffe and Hillis Cunliffe 9. Kyle Bass, Marietta Lunceford and Howard Green

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OUT & ABOUT

RED SHOE RUN

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PHOTOS BY JAMES CULVER

This annual run in downtown Homewood raised funds and awareness for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama.

1. Xing Wu 2. Katie Hannah and Mary Claire Hunter 3. Simon McVey and Samm Bartee 4. Ryan and Mollie Ford 5. Chris Ellis, Lisa VanZant, Stephanie Langford and Brianne Denley 6. Mollie and Amy Ford, and Ginger Marable 7. Jeh Jeh Pruitt and Stephanie Langford

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OUT & ABOUT

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MARDI GRAS PARADE

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PHOTOS BY JAMES CULVER

Homewood Central Park filled with beads, stroller “floats” and moon pies for this event held annually by the Over the Mountain Chapter of Moms Club.

1. Hannah Phillips and Flora Murrell 2. Christopher Seamon 3. Kimberly and Dylan Glover 4. Dax VanSant

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5. James and Jennifer Creel 6. Max and Melanie Lewis 7. Simeon Schneider 8. Eva McRoberts 9. Allison, Thomas, William and Patrick Newton 10. North Star Martial Arts led by “Master” Joe Schlbanetz 11. George Wheeler

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OUT & ABOUT

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STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS

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PHOTOS BY JAMES CULVER

Mayor Scott McBrayer delivered his annual State of the City address during the January Homewood Chamber of Commerce luncheon at The Club.

1. Rebecca Wood, Katie Bauer, Hunter Smith and Jody Mattson 2. Bob Copus and William Yandella 3. Oanh Nguyen, Christina Castor, Laura Tucker, Deborah Fout and Heather Cover

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4. Matthew Green and Lori Green 5. Terry Sanderson and Amy Snow 6. Dave Goode, Scott McBrayer, Sam Giffona 7. Lt. David Everson 8. Paul DeMarco and Chamber President Kelly Moore 9. Chief John Bresnan, Lt, Kieth Everson, Will Everson, Amy Everson, Karen DeLaine and Battalion Chief Mike Anastasia 10. Aimee Camper, Carina Hardy, Claire Jackson, Melody Salter, Robert Burgett, La Vonda Primus, Stephanie Williams and Melody Jennings 11. Meridith L, Harris, Rich Roth and Chamber President Elect Floresha Boyd

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CHAMBER ANNUAL MEETING & LUNCHEON

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PHOTOS BY MADOLINE MARKHAM

The Homewood Chamber of Commerce launched its Homewood Forward strategic plan and gave out business awards at this luncheon.

Winners were: Ambassador of the Year, Al Wood of Still Serving Veterans; Rising Star, Cookie Fix; Community Patriot, Red Hills Brewing Company; and Business of the Year, Hoar Construction.

1. Kelsey Ellenburg and Alley Clokey 2. Thomas Stroud and Chris Barbados 3. Richard Danner and Amanda Parker 4. Mark Hendricks and Stephen Preston

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North Clanton, AL 35045.

TDD#s: 800-548-2547(V) 800-548-2546(T/A) bentcreek@morrowapts.com Office Hours: Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm.

Equal Opportunity Provider/ Employer Bama Concrete Now Hiring: Diesel Mechanic 4 Years Minimum Experience. CDL Preferred. Competitive Pay. Great Benefits. Apply in person: 2180 Hwy 87 Alabaster, 35007 Birmingham Hide & Tallow Immediate position for CLASS-B ROUTE DRIVERS FOR LOCAL ROUTE. WELL-ESTABLISHED 100+ YEAR COMPANY NOW HIRING ROUTE DRIVERS. HOME NIGHTS/WEEKENDS. LOOKING FOR HARD WORKING DRIVERS TO JOIN OUR TEAM. CLEAN MVR/BG CHECK REQUIRED. COMPETITIVE PAY & BENEFITS: BCBC, 401K, PAID HOLIDAYS/ VACATION, COMPANY FURNISHED UNIFORMS. CALL 205-425-1711 OR EMAIL: adria.lupien@bhtonline.com Bob Clayton The Ultimate in Janitorial Service • Since 1987 205-281-3188 bobclaytonujs@gmail.com Commercial Services: •Construction Cleanup •Emergency Cleanup •Floor Care/Buffing/Mopping •Stripping/Waxing•General Cleaning •Parking-Lot Cleanup •Pressure Washing •Trash Removal •Window Cleaning Boise Cascade Now Hiring for Utility Positions. Starting pay $13/hour. Must be able to pass background screen. Please apply at www.bc.com BRIARWOOD APARTMENTS Now Leasing! Beautiful 1 and 2 Bedroom Apartments. Mon & Wed 8:30am-4pm. 535-A Hicks St. Montevallo • 205-665-2257 • TDD #’s: (V)1-800-548-2547 • (T/A)1-800-548-2546. This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Chase Learning Center & Day Care is Pelham is Now Hiring • PT Nursery • PT After-school. $8/hr. 5 days/week. Great for college students! 205-620-1616

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Carroll Fulmer Now Hiring Class-A CDL Drivers. Over-theroad positions available. Dry vans. No hazmat. Must have one year over-the-road. Experience and a clean MVR. Competitive pay and bonus package. Good home time. Call 800-633-9710 ext. 2

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY Seeking two qualified individuals to fill two part time driver vacancies for Chilton County Transit. Applicants must meet the following qualifications: must possess a valid Alabama driver’s license, a high school diploma, extensive knowledge of Chilton County Roads, clean driving record, and good math skills. No phone calls, please. Applications are available at the Transit office at 508 Enterprise Road, Clanton between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:00 pm. Applicants should send application or resume to: Employment Opportunity P. O. Box 1245 Clanton, AL 35046 Comfort Caregivers • Now Hiring Caregivers New Positions Available Full-time & Part-time •Non-medical Care •Companion/ Sitter Services •Personal Care •Homemaker Services View jobs and apply online: www.comfortcarehomehealth. com 205.730.2358 Coosa Valley Medical Center NOW HIRING! •RN Med/Surg, 7am-7pm •RN Labor & Delivery, 11pm-7am 7-on/7-off •LPN CVMC Nursing Home, 3pm-11pm, 11pm-7am •RN ICU, 7am-7pm Email resume to: Blaine.Green@cvhealth.net or to apply, go to www.cvhealth. net WE NEED YOU..... Foster parents wanted for therapeutic foster care. Become a part of a team while nurturing and teaching a child/teen who needs help adjusting to life. Call now and ask for Sabrina Underwood at 1-888-875-0608. or email cmstinson@cscalabama.org Welder Training. Short Term Licensing . Call for Details .

866-432-0430 ESDschool.com

Full Time and Part Time RN’s Needed for home health in Bibb, Shelby and Chilton counties.

Excellent Salary and Benefits.

Please send resumes to jobs@rubic.com or call 866-273-3984

DCH Health System Caring.

For Life. $5,000 *Sign-on Bonus for full time RNs *For More Info Contact Annie.Miller@dchsystem. com. Apply online at: www.dchsystem.com Homewood Area Package Store. Day Shift (10am-6pm) Clerk/Stocker. Must be 21, have retail experience, be able to multi-task, able to work any shift.

Good pay. Call (205)585-8900 D & G Plumbing Service 2003 4th Ave South Irondale, AL 35210 •Plumbing •Drain Cleaning •Gas Lines 10% Senior Citizen Discount 10% off any service call Call Us Now!!

•205-603-7768 •205-503-6000 •205-531-8519 Edgar’s Bakery Interviewing candidates for cake decorators, front counter associates, bakery production workers, packagers, and drivers. Apply online: edgarsbakery.com or at your nearest Edgar’s location.

Job Posting: Human Resource Manager Full-Time File Clerk/ Data Entry Clerk Part-Time Please email resume: Oacinc5@yahoo.com Or mail to: Post Office Drawer 559 Clanton, Alabama 35045 ERP Compliant Coke is now accepting applications for experienced BOILER / POWER PLANT OPERATOR $20.56/hr +excellent benefits Apply at local Career Center or email resume to pmay@erpcoke.com EOE/M/F/VET/DIS Local Company in Childersburg, Alabama is looking for local drivers, home daily and off most weekends For more information please contact Chad at: 256-404-7478 ONLINE AUCTIONS www.GTAOnlineAuctions.com 205-326-0833 Granger, Thagard & Assoc.

Jack F. Granger #873

$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.

RN’s, LPN’s and CNA’s for Private Duty Flexible Day/Night Shift Hours 7 Days a Week For Qualifications Please call 205-870-8855 or Email: dawna@family privatecarellc.com www.familyprivatecarellc.com Taking applications for experienced part-time bartender for growing business in Clanton. Call Teresa: 334-235-0228 or call the restaurant between 4-10pm: 205-280-4949 First Heritage Credit of Alabama, LLC has come to town!

Come meet your local agents, Leigh Warren, Ashley Traywick, and Karly Reinhardt for loans of all types; •Personal Loans - Consolidation Loans •Auto Loans - Consumer Retail Loans “Excellence is our Standard” Located at 8919 Hwy 119, Suite 109, Alabaster AL 35007 Call or Apply Online @ 205-620-0664 1stheritagecredit.com •All loans are subject to our normal credit criteria DRIVERS Hanna Truck Lines is seeking Professional Flatbed Drivers. 53 cpm No surprises: Starting pay (all miles): 51 cpm, 52 cpm at 6 months, 53 cpm at 1 year. 100% Outbounds loads Preloaded & Tarped. 75% Inbound No Tarp. Late Model Peterbilt Trucks. Air Ride Trailers. Home weekends. Low cost BCBS Health & Dental Ins. Matching 401K. Qualifications: 18 months Class A CDL driving experience with 6 months flatbed; Applicants must meet all D.O.T. requirements.

Contact recruiting at 1-800-634-7315 or come by HTL office at 1700 Boone Blvd, Northport. EOE

MARKETPLACE LPN’s, RN’s, CNA’s Full-time & part-time • 2nd & 3rd Shift Apply in person: Hatley Health Care 300 Medical Ctr Dr Clanton, AL 35045 Looking for a wonderful place to live? NEW Meadow View Village Apartments. Columbiana, AL. Now Pre-leasing 2&3 Bedrooms. Great Amenities Provided. Call 256-560-0821.

99 Eagle Lane. info@hollyhand.com.

Equal Housing Opportunity.

CDL TRUCK DRIVER For Tree Service. Also hiring for other full-time and part-time jobs. Drug Test Required. 205-836-2038 or 205-229-7144 Kelly Educational Staffing® We’re hiring! •Substitute teachers •Aides •Cafeteria •Clerical •Custodial positions Shelby County School District & Alabaster City Schools.

Please call 205-870-7154 -Equal Opportunity EmployerPosition available for local Pickup and Delivery Driver 25-35 hours per week, Vehicle Provided, Clean driving record a MUST! Call 205-663-6500 Monday-Friday for more info Owner Operators Wanting Dedicated Year Round Anniston, AL www.pull4klb.com NOW HIRING Haul Truck Drivers with 3-5 years experience in medium to heavy duty diesel trucks, 50 hour work week, Competitive bonus structure, Plus benefits Email or Call Nick at: 607-972-3205 ngregg@stny.rr.com M&D Mechanical Contractors Inc. • Hiring Craft Professionals: •Commercial Plumbers •Sheet Metal Workers •Helpers Hours: Monday-Thursday (4/10s) Apply Now: mdmechanical.com/ careers Location: Birmingham, AL. Competitive Pay, Robust Benefits, Pre-Employment Drug Screen Required. Questions?

Call HR @ 256.350.6568 Service Technician.

Top Pay, Benefits & Commission!

Mainline Heating & Air. 400 Hillwood Park S, Alabaster, AL. Or email resume to: ashley@mainlineheating.com (205)664-4751 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: 800-5482547(V) •800-548-2546(T/A).

Office Hours: Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm. Equal Opportunity Provider/Employer $Cash Paid For Used RV’s!$ Motor Homes, Travel/Enclosed trailers, consignment welcome, Cars and Trucks, Pick up available, Mccluskey Auto and RV Sales, LLC 205-833-4575 Are you a motivated professional? Are you looking for a dynamic career? Are you ready to control your own level of success? See why McKinnons’ is an exciting place to work and grow. Now accepting applications for Sales, Service, and Detail Shop. Apply with the receptionist. 205-755-3430 Shake up your career!!!

Are you looking for something new and FUN? Milo’s is always looking for great managers to come join our growing and dynamic team. Apply online at miloshamburgers.com 280 Location Opening Now Hiring 3 shift Managers. Pay Rate $9-$11. 20-25 Employees.

Pay Rate $7.75-$8.50. Must have own transportation and flexible schedule. Apply at recruiting. talentreef.com/mommagoldbergs-deli (205)503-6190 Montgomery Stockyard Drop Station at Gray & Son’s in Clanton. Call Lane at 205-389-4530. For other hauling arrangements, contact Wes in Harpersville 205-965-8657 Production Jobs. Willing to Train. AAM in Columbiana is HIRING for multiple shifts. Email resume to dcurtis@grede.com or apply in person: 130 Industrial Pkwy, Columbiana, AL 35051 NOW HIRING Class-A CDL Driver Must have clean driving record, two years experience Will train drivers on tank Drivers home nightly Contact Keith at: 205-438-4959 INDUSTRIAL CLEANING IN VANCE Requirements: •18 Years Old •HS Diploma/GED •Able to work variable shifts/weekends/ holidays •Able to lift up to 50lbs constantly, stand on your feet for 8hrs •Able to pass drug screen/ background check Complete your application on line at www.naonsite.com Odyssey Early Schools.

Birmingham’s Best Daycare/ Preschool is Seeking Experienced Teachers. 4 Year Degree Preferred. Full-Time. BEST Pay. FULL Benefits (Insurance, Leave, Holidays). Call Annie Fine 205-991-0039.

Production / Manufacturing Vance, Alabama Starting pay: $12.00 – $14.50 /hr. • Have 2 years+ Production/Manufacturing experience. • Have Recently Lived in Alabama at least 2 years.

• Have A High School Diploma or GED. • Are at least 18 years old. Complete your application on line at www.naonsite.com 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 inquires only.

Call 334-409-0035 or apply online at www.Oxfordhealthcare. com Parts / Warranty Clerk Needed. Peach Automotive & Outdoor in Clanton is a thriving company in need of an individual able to process parts orders and warranty claims for farm equipment. Knowledge in the farm equipment industry is a plus. Excellent pay, BC/ BS Insurance, paid vacation.

Please send resume to: peachautomotive@gmail.com We are a Christian faith based private duty care -Up to 24 hours- Looking for someone to care & give lots of love to your loved ones? You have just been blessed! I am the one! 10 years experience, UAB graduate, Certified CNA Will clean, cook, shop, travel with you on vacations and etc. References Available Owner: Robin Co-owner:Pearl (646)770-7859 Class A CDL Drivers Needed Immediately for Dump Trailer Hauling • $2000 Retention Bonus • Local Hauling • Home Nights APPLY ONLINE: www.perdidotrucking.com Perdido Trucking Service, LLC 251-470-0355 Move in Special! 3/2 Garden Home w/garage. Dishwasher, Fenced backyard, Great Room w/ vaulted Ceiling. Calera Schools.

Rent $1150. FLAT SCREEN TV!!

(205)433-9811 The Salvation Army, Alabaster, is hiring (Seasonal) Angel Tree Coordinator • Kettle Coordinator • Required Skills: Driver, databases, computer, physical abilities. Email resumes to: Rufus.

McDowell@uss.salvationarmy.org 205-663-7105 Soom the Mark of the Beast Will Be Enforced. Free Book & Bible Study. PO Box 171 • Samantha, AL 35482 205-339-4837

Order Selectors Food Dist.

Center in Pelham Day-Shift: Mon-Fri. 40+ hours/week 10:00AM until finished (varies).

Salary: $16-20/hr after training.

Benefits: Medical, vision, dental, vacation & 401k. Requirements: •Reading & math skills •Lift 40 lbs. repetitively •Work in -10 Temperature Apply in person: 8:30AM-5:00PM Southeastern Food 201 Parker Drive Pelham, Alabama 35124 resume@southeasternfood.com Speedy Tire & Service NOW HIRING •Auto Technicians •Tire & Lube Technicians Apply in person at: 3149 Pelham Parkway Pelham, Al 35214 205-664-0810 Immediate Positions!!!!

Positions needed: Warehouse • Sales Reps • Assistant Manager • Delivery Drivers • Customer Service. Laid back atmosphere, good pay, plenty of hours available! Company vehicles to qualified individuals! Call Andrew 9am-7pm • Mon-Sat at (205)490-1003 or (205)243-6337 Electrician - FT Supreme Electric, local-based company in Pelham.

Must be willing to learn & work hard. Go to: supremeelectrical.com Print employment application under Contact Us. Mail to: Supreme Electric 231 Commerce Pkwy Pelham, AL 35124 or call 205-453-9327.

TARGET AUCTION Advanced Real Estate Marketing 800-476-3939 www.targetauction.com TaylorMade Transportation Hiring CDL Drivers for Flatbed Regional Division! BCBS Insurance After 30 Days. To apply call: (334)366-2269 or email: s.smith@taylormadeinc.com Terrace Oaks Care & Rehab in Besemer is hiring 3pm-11pm LPN Charge Nurse & Staff Education Coordinator RN Please contact: Letetia Whitt, RN,DON at 205-428-3249 Learn a Skill & Begin your Career! Earn $50,000 & More First Year. Hiring Hard Working Insulation & Afterpaint Installers! •Immediate Openings •We Train you to Succeed.

Requirements: •Valid DL •Drug Test •MVR •Background Check. www.truteam.com/careers or 205.428.9381 The Painting Company of Birmingham Immediate openings for professional residential and commercial painters. Must be able to speak English. Call 205-995-5559

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

WCA • Roll Off Drivers needed for our Alpine, AL location. Class A or B CDL is required along with one (1) year of verifiable equivalent commercial truck driving experience. Must have a valid and safe driving record.

We offer competitive wages & a comprehensive benefits package which includes: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401k, Life Insurance, Short & Long Term Disability, Paid Holidays and PTO. Please apply through our website at www. wcawaste.com EOE M/F/D/V WARRIOR MET COAL NOW HIRING Located in Brookwood, AL Immediate need for experienced: • Underground Miners • Electricians • Maintenance Foreman • Supervisors Apply online: www.warriormetcoal.com Tree Nursery Worker Needed Responsible w/mechanical skills, to operate forklift/farm tractors/ equipment/welding/ ground maintenance/service equipment/ check fluid levels/clean after use. Maintain safe/clean area.

Requires valid-DL/reliable transportation. 334-365-2488 Wiley Sanders Truck Lines Inc $1,000 SIGN-ON-BONUS DRIVER PAY RAISE EFFECTIVE JUNE 2017! Longevity-Bonus.

Quarterly Safe-Driving AWARD. Competitive Pay Package.

PAID Orientation. NEW Fleet of Trucks. Call 1-855-777-9785 & ask for Dale or Brandy. Nights/ weekends, call Jeffrey: 334-372-5049 Ron: 1-850-454-4276 Richard: 334-492-0803 Wiregrass Construction Company is seeking experienced asphalt CDL TRUCK DRIVERS. Must be dependable. Excellent benefits. Interested applicants may apply: 951 Dow Street.

Pelham, AL 35124.(205)620-4132 or 151 Piper Lane. Alabaster, AL 35007 (205)605-0753. 8AM to 5PM, M-F. WCC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

NOW HIRING Cook/Food Service Workers Part-Time, Day and Evening Shifts YMCA Hargis Retreat in Chelsea Complete application at: www.ymcabham. org/careers CLOCK REPAIR SVS. * Setup * Repair * Maintenance. I can fix your Mother’s clock. Alabaster/ Pelham. Call Stephen (205)663-2822

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MY HOMEWOOD BELLA CRIM

Homewood High School Miss Heritage

PHOTOS BY SCOTT BUTLER

Best Day of the Year

No Crying in Football

We Love Homewood Day We Love Homewood Day is a day full of excitement! From the race in the morning, to the parade, and the gathering of everyone for rides and food in Edgewood, this is a great day for all who love our community.

HHS Powderpuff Game The Powderpuff Football game is played by girls at Homewood High School.

Every grade puts together a team and the girls compete against each other in games of flag football. It is the friendliest of competition and gives us girls a chance show off our football skills!

No Crying in Football Half-Baked Cookies

An Urban Cookhouse Treat This is by far one of my favorite treats in Homewood.

Urban Cookhouse never fails to make it just the perfect temperature, and to top it off, they add vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup.

PHOTO BY URBAN COOKHOUSE

HHS Powderpuff Game The Powderpuff Football game is played by girls at Homewood High School. Every grade puts together a team and the girls compete against each other in games of flag football. It is the friendliest of competition and gives us girls a chance show off our football skills!

For a Quick (& Friendly) Bite

The Edgewood Strip The many great restaurants make it a fun place to meet and eat with friends and family, and I always see friendly faces. My favorites are the grilled cheese and fries from Sam’s and the Chocolate High cupcakes from Dreamcakes.

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