Mountain Brook Magazine, Summer 2025

SALLY BURROUGHS’ CALL TO ART • TEDXYOUTH@MBJH • CITY MANAGER SAM GASTON RETIRES

MOUNTAIN BROOK’S BEST

YOU VOTED. WE TALLIED. SEE THE 2025 WINNERS INSIDE.

OF BAKERY & BISTRO CAROLE GRIFFIN’S CULINARY LEGACY

SUMMER 2025 MountainBrookMagazine.com Volume Nine | Issue Two $4.95

VERDANT

ESCAPE

DOROTHY SMITH’S EXQUISITE ESTATE MountainBrookMagazine.com 1

2 Summer 2025

MountainBrookMagazine.com 1

49

FEATURES

49

A LEGACY OF LEADERSHIP Thirty-two years after assuming the role of city manager, Sam Gaston is passing on the reins, leaving behind three decades of service to the Mountain Brook community.

57

MOUNTAIN BROOK’S BEST WINNERS See just who Mountain Brook’s favorites are in the winners of our annual vote.

74 HIT THE ROAD

From the breezy coast to the tranquil lakes to the mighty falls, New York has a lot to explore outside its namesake city.

2 Summer 2025

PHOTO BY BLAIR RAMSEY

OUTSIDE THE CITY: EXPLORING NEW YORK STATE

31

PHOTO BY BLAIR RAMSEY

arts & culture

13 Never Past Prime: Sally Burroughs’ Onset to Art 22 Read this Book: Rachel Owens’ Top Summer Reads

schools & sports

23 Amplifying Voices: The 2025 TEDxYouth Conference 30 Five Questions For: John Woolard, Brookwood Forest Elementary School

food & drink

31 Recipe for Success: David Griner’s New Business Venture

in every issue 4 Contributors 5 From the Editor 6 The Question 8 Instagram 9 The Guide 80 Chamber Connections 82 Out & About 94 Marketplace 96 My Mountain Brook

38 Five Questions For: Dedra Miele, Chop N Fresh

home & style

41 European Twist: Dorothy Smith’s Elegant Estate

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MOUNTAIN BROOK

contributors

MAGAZINE

EDITORIAL

Michaela Bankston Dave Domescik Anna Grace Moore Tyler Raley Andrew Simonson Noah Wortham

CONTRIBUTORS Lisa Cheek Michelle Love Rachel Owens Blair Ramsey Kelsea Schafer Kate Seaver Arik Sokol

DESIGN

Sydney Allen Jamie Dawkins Rowan Futrell Connor Martin-Lively

MARKETING

Kelsey Alexander Noah Brakefield Evann Campbell Octavia Campbell Rachel Henderson Rhett McCreight Viridiana Romero

Lisa Cheek, Photographer

Lisa is a Vestavia Hills-based photographer, who specializes in capturing diverse subjects and moments through her lens. Lisa excels in various genres including performing arts, portraits, headshots and branding.

Through a blend of technical expertise and artistic vision, Lisa strives to deliver images that resonate with authenticity and capture the true spirit of her subjects. Her goal is to deliver quality work with exceptional service. To work with Lisa or view her work, visit lisacheekphotography. com or follow her on Instagram @lisa.cheekphotograpy or Facebook @lisacheekphotography.

Michelle Love, Writer

Michelle has spent the past 11 years writing about the different businesses and people that make Birmingham so unique including artists, restaurants and political/social issues. She has loved watching the city evolve into the vibrant and eclectic world it is now. When she isn’t writing, she can be found trying new recipes in her kitchen or reading a good book.

Blair Ramsey, Photographer

Blair is a Vestavia Hills-based photographer whose company, Southern Intrigue Photography, specializes in sports action, portrait and commercial images. Blair has two sons, Cooper and Cameron, who have both had the privilege of being Auburn cheerleaders. Blair’s work can be found at southernintriguephotography.com, on Instagram @southernintriguephotography and Facebook @southernintrigue.

ADMINISTRATION Mary Jo Eskridge Alec Etheredge Stacey Meadows Lauren Morris Kayla Reeves Leslie Reeves Brittany Schofield

Kate Seaver, Writer

Pursuing her degree in journalism and mass communications, Kate Seaver is a Samford University student, who loves writing and photography and hopes to continue sharing her community’s stories for years to come. She is always captured by stories about people, and she challenges herself to seek out the interesting bits in even mundane topics.

When not writing or taking photos, she enjoys spending time outside, taking in the beauty of creation.

Mountain Brook Magazine is published quarterly by Shelby County Newsmedia Inc., P.O. Box 947, Columbiana, AL 35051.

Mountain Brook Magazine is a registered trademark. All contents herein are the sole property of Shelby County Newsmedia 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, Mountain Brook Magazine, P.O. Box 947, Columbiana, AL 35051.

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

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

4 Summer 2025

from the editor

I

ON THE COVER

Nestled in Serenity

The Smiths’ architecturally innate home is accentuated through thoughtful interior design.

Photo by Blair Ramsey Design by Jamie Dawkins

I’ll never forget cramming shoulder-to-shoulder inside of Crestline Elementary School’s auditorium, anxiously awaiting the poignant messages student speakers would deliver at the TEDxYouth Conference (page 23). This year’s theme was the impact of hope.

There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when Hampton Doobrew spoke about his great-grandmother, Riva Schuster Hirsch, who was only 7 when Nazis invaded her hometown in Romania. Listening to Riva’s story, I was floored at how one woman’s hope for a better life positively impacted three generations of her descendants. It got me thinking about my own grandmother, Joanna Boyd, who grew up battling polio during The Great Depression and WWII. As one of my closest confidants, Joanna was the epitome of kindness.

An English teacher by trade, she always hoped I would lead a better life than she did, but more importantly, she hoped I would learn to love the Lord and reciprocate that love to others through my writing.

When I was reentering the workforce as a new mother, she encouraged me to apply for a magazine editor position–the role I now have today, partly thanks to her. She helped me proof nearly every article I have written for all five of my magazines. Hundreds of articles later, the Alabama Press Association awarded Vestavia Hills Magazine (one of my other publications) its highly coveted “Magazine of the Year” award in 2023. Even at 85, Joanna fulfilled her calling as a teacher and enabled her last student to achieve her dreams.

Despite being a wonderful educator, Joanna never desired praise.

Much like Riva, she endured years of pain and suffering but clung to her hope–her desire for a better life for her children–through tough times. Although having lived separate lives, Riva and Joanna have shown me that hope, in the heart of the righteous, will always prevail.

In creating this issue, I sought out stories with likeminded heroes– ones who put others before themselves–and I’m pleased to share that wavemakers such as Carole Griffin (page 31) and Mountain Brook City Manager Sam Gaston (page 49) are featured. Their testimonies, I believe, will renew your faith in humanity. In addition to these heartfelt testimonials, you all will also get to read up on the winners of our annual Best of the Best contest (page 57)!

Between writing about local legacies, fun contest shenanigans and more, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed creating this issue for you all, readers.

My hope is that you all feel inspired to chase your dreams after reading this issue. No matter your journey, know that a little hope goes a long way.

Dream big, readers,

annagrace.moore@mountainbrookmagazine.com MountainBrookMagazine.com 5

“ ” THE QUESTION

Where are your favorite places to spend time in Mountain Brook?

I love Chez Lulu! The atmosphere is quite eclectic, and the servers are kind and hospitable. It makes for a great datenight option!

I love spending time outside, so any opportunity to take to the Mountain Brook walking trails is high on my list. Irondale Furnace and Jemison Park are two of my favorites.

You can spot me almost any morning at Continental Bakery–ordering my “usual,” which is always a cappuccino and pain au chocolat–or in my own, small garden.

My fiancé and I love supporting all of the villages’ local businesses.

We enjoy eating at Continental Bakery, Vino, Taco Mama and of course, Mountain Brook Creamery.

Go to Mountain Brook’s center, and you can find so many good things— breakfast at Another Broken Egg Cafe, sushi at Abhi, wine at Golden Age Wine, cigars at Vitola and more.

I enjoy spending time with loved ones while getting outdoors, often taking walks at Jemison Park. I also love catching brunch at Another Broken Egg Cafe.

The Connor crew has a few, go-to spots: La Paz, Davenport’s, Jemison Trail and all of the giggles at the Tot Lot. We also like to visit my parents to catch up.

I love working at BartonClay and shopping at B. Prince! I also love getting a “hot beef on a bun” and limeade at Gilchrist!

-Sarah Smith

-Heath Padgett

-Daniel Gable

-Jay Connor

6 Summer 2025

-Christiana Roussel

-Kevin Holland

-Braden Crow

-Rose Ann Kendrick

@mountainbrookmag

Tag us in your Mountain Brook photos on Instagram, and we’ll pick our favorites to regram and publish on this page in each issue.

@bartonclayfinejewelers Spring whispers new beginnings—and for many, that means saying yes. Whether you’re planning the perfect proposal or falling for fine jewelry all over again, Barton-Clay is where unforgettable moments begin. This season, make it extraordinary.

Call to schedule your private appointment: 205-871-7060

@mtnbrookschools New Podcast: Sam Gaston has served as Mountain Brook’s City Manager for 32 years and has announced his plans to retire in November 2025.

As the school system and city have had a partnership from the beginning, Gaston has been instrumental in maintaining a connection between the two during his tenure. Enjoy this episode of the Mountain Brook Schools podcast where Sam shares stories and expresses gratitude for his career in Mountain Brook. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or find the link on the Mountain Brook Schools website.

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@olivia.caltagirone.hair Layers and texture, with natural movement for Travis!!

@marketmountainbrook Market is happy to add Leigh Karagas as a vendor - the Salad Queen of Mountain Brook! Leigh drops her well known Greek and Kale salads every morning using French Feta & goat as her cheeses.

Trust us, the cheeses make a difference you will taste!!! When we run out she is back the very next day! Always fresh. Always filling.

THE GUIDE

THE 44TH ANNUAL ART IN THE VILLAGE FESTIVAL MAY 3 9 A.M.-4:30 P.M. Mountain Brook City Hall Featuring a plethora of local and out-of-town artists’ work, Art in the Village will take place both indoors at Mountain Brook City Hall and out on its front lawn.

Between paintings, pottery, floral arrangements and more, there is something for everyone at this annual show! For more information, visit mountainbrookartassociation.com.

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THE GUIDE AROUND TOWN SATURDAYS IN MAY-JULY Helena Market Days Helena Amphitheater SATURDAYS IN MAY-SEPT. Valleydale Farmers’ Market 4601 Valleydale Road SATURDAYS IN MAY-NOV. The Market at Brock’s Gap Brock’s Gap Brewing Company TUESDAYS IN JUNE-AUGUST West Homewood Farmers Market 160 Oxmoor Road SELECT WEEKS IN JUNE-JULY Gross Out Camp Oak Mountain State Park

MAY 27-30, JUNE 2-6, 9-13, 16-20, 23-27 & JUNE 30-JULY 3, JULY 7-11, 14-18, 21-25 & JULY 28-AUG. 1

Gymnastics Camp 8 A.M.-NOON OR 8 A.M.-4 P.M. Mountain Brook Gymnastics

Calling all future olympians! Mountain Brook Gymnastics is hosting day camps for boys and girls ages 3 and older (all campers must be toilet trained). The half-day camps are for both preschoolers

and junior campers, but the all-day camps are only for junior campers.

Campers will get to participate in gymnastics lessons, pit and trampoline time, crafts and fun games each week.

For more details or to register, visit mountainbrookgymnastics.com/summercamp.

JUNE 16-20

Hip Hop Camp 2025 9 A.M.-NOON Linda Dobbins Dance

Pock, lock and drop it at Linda Dobbins Dance’s summer camps! Children ages 5-11 will get to learn hip hop combos, play daily, educational games, participate in arts and crafts and on the final day, they will get to perform in the family and friends show-off!

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SELECT WEEKS IN JUNE-JULY Kids’ Art Camp Thomas Andrew Art, Home & Faith 2856 18th Street South MAY 3 We Love Homewood Day Homewood Central Park MAY 3 Art in the Lot Trinity United Methodist Church MAY 10 Kitty Kat Haven and Rescue 5K Meow-A-Thon and One-Mile Whisker Walk Veterans Park 4800 Valleydale Road MAY 13-18 Birmingham Barons vs.

Chattanooga Outlooks Regions Field MAY 14-18 Regions Tradition Greystone Golf & Country Club

Camp cost is $200 per registrant. Learn more at

lindadobbinsdance.com/ hip-hop-summer-camp.

MAY 17 Spring Scramble 5K 2839 18th Street South

THE GUIDE MAY 17 Pelham Palooza in the Park 555 Ballpark Road MAY 17 The Molly Ringwalds Presented by Avondale Brewing Company MAY 19-25 Women’s Pro Classic W50 Tennis Tournament Pelham Racquet Club MAY 20-25 SEC Baseball Tournament Hoover Metropolitan Complex MAY 26 Memorial Day MAY 26 Because of the Brave 5K 3727 Highway 119 JUNE 1 Sean of the South Presented by the Shelby County Arts Council JUNE 3-8 Birmingham Barons vs. Rocket City Trash Pandas Regions Field JUNE 7 Alabaster CityFest Thompson High School JUNE 6 Electric Avenue - The 80’s MTV Experience Presented by Iron City Bham JUNE 6 Backyard Bash – Calera Main Street’s First Friday Festival 1120 17th Avenue JUNE 7 Rug Tufting Workshop with Andrea Willis of Tuft Birmingham O’Neal Library

SELECT WEEKS IN JULY-AUGUST

Mason Music Summer Camps 8:30-11 A.M. Mason Music Mountain Brook

JULY 28-AUG. 1: Mason Music Camp for Beginners, Ages: 6-9

JULY 7-11: Vocal Camp for Beginners, Ages: 10-15 JULY 14-18: Stars Preschool Music Camp, Ages: 3-5

Visit masonmusic.com/groupprograms/music-camps/ for more information or to register for the above summer camps.

JULY 19

Mountain Brook Market Day ALL DAY Mountain Brook Village

Looking for the perfect summer outing? Be sure to visit Mountain Brook Village on this day for Mountain Brook Market Day! Businesses will be offering one-day-only discounts and special sales on all things summer: clothes, shoes, jewelry–you name it. To learn more, visit business. mtnbrookchamber.org/ events.

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THE GUIDE JUNE 12 Mountain Brook Chamber Summer Member Social 2025 Grand Bohemian Art Gallery & Outdoor Garden JUNE 14 Run, Ride & Rumble for PTSD Awareness 4500 5th Avenue South JUNE 17-22 Birmingham Barons vs.

Columbus Clingstones Regions Field JUNE 19 Juneteenth JUNE 20 Coco Jones with Lady London Presented by Iron City Bham

AUG. 16

Crestline Tent Sale ALL DAY Crestline Village

Stock up on your children’s back-to-school wardrobes at this annual shopping shindig! Hosted by the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce, the Crestline Tent

STAY TUNED

OTEY’S FEST As of press time, event details had not yet been confirmed about the 16th Annual Otey’s Fest, but the event will happen this July in Crestline! With live music, delicious food and beverages and more, this all-day festival is the perfect summer shindig. Last year, the event featured a “local beer”

Sale will feature businesses setting up sweet bargains under tents outside of their storefronts on this day. Shoppers can peruse some great discounts on clothes, shoes, school supplies and can even mingle with storeowners, too. Learn more at business.mtnbrookchamber.org/events.

tent with varieties of local beverages including signature “Otey’s Tavern” cocktails. The Hurlers, T.U.B. and The Negotiators all performed live as well, drawing crowds of hundreds. Be sure to follow @oteystavern on Instagram to stay updated on this event, and tag @mountainbrookmag in your #oteysfest photos this summer!

Share your news! Email submissions to AnnaGrace.Moore@mountainbrookmagazine.com to be considered for our next issue.

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JUNE 21 Fourth Annual Cornhole for a Cure – Calera Main Street’s First Friday Festival 1120 17th Avenue JUNE 26 I Love America Night Wald Park JUNE 27-28 Columbiana’s Liberty Day Festival Main Street in Columbiana JUNE 28 ChelsaFest and the Big KaBoom Open Field behind Dairy Queen off of Highway 280 JULY 4 Independence Day JULY 4 July 4th Festival Downtown Homewood JULY 27 Sidewalk Sale The Businesses of Downtown Homewood

&CULTURE

ARTS

A FLEETWOOD MAC DAY Sally Burroughs shares her love of painting and supporting local artists.

BY MICHELLE LOVE PHOTOS BY LISA CHEEK MountainBrookMagazine.com 13

14 Summer 2025

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Sally Burroughs will tell you she is not an “artist,” or at least in the professional sense of the word. The title, she says, makes her uncomfortable.

“I’m not a trained artist, and I’m not going to pretend to be,” she says. “When people ask me if I’m an artist, I’ll say, ‘No.’ I just like to paint. I didn’t go to school for this, I just love doing it.”

Sally is the type of person who has never met a stranger. Her smile lights up a room and her laugh, which is frequent, is contagious. This joy, she feels, radiates from artists supporting each other’s crafts.

“I always try to support local people because they have the best stuff,” she says.

Her Mountain Brook home is filled with art—most her own—but also of work she’s collected at local art shows. Her studio, a small space downstairs by the garage, is filled with paintings, either finished or in progress, as well as canvases waiting to be used.

Standing in the middle of the room, one gets a 360-degree view of the creative chaos Sally says runs throughout her mind all day.

If one asks her where her painting journey began, she will shake her head and laugh.

“There is no beginning, really,” she says, smiling. “I have always loved to paint. Just growing up, it was one of my highlights.”

Sally taught second grade for Birmingham City Schools for 12 years before moving on to teaching kindergarten. Even then, she would incorporate art into her lessons.

When she got pregnant with her son, Daxius, she had to go on bedrest due to pregnancy complications and started doodling to pass the time. When her son was born, she took a step back from teaching.

Sally dabbled in the charcuterie business for a while, where she would assemble grazing boards for neighborhood friends’ parties. After growing to “hate charcuterie,” and after her children went off to school, she turned her attention towards teaching Pilates before deciding to take another step back and start painting in 2023. She says she felt drawn to watercolors and acrylics.

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“I remember seeing this person make the most beautiful floral abstract paintings using watercolors,” she says. “I didn’t even know that watercolors were able to do that. The extent of my watercolor knowledge was gathered from teaching second grade and using the standard Crayola watercolor palette with the standard plastic bristle brush. Those simple ‘IG’ artists blew my mind with the way they could make the colors dance and mingle. I went out the next day and bought me a simple Winsor and Newton Cotman watercolor paint set. My love snowballed from there, 16 Summer 2025

and I have embraced and accepted that this would be a major part of my future.”

All of her art is adorned by frames she’s bought at antique shops and hung throughout her house.

Strolling through the Burroughs home, it’s obvious Sally’s painting style fits no specific mold.

The pieces she’s done vary from vibrant floral pieces to watercolor landscapes to abstracts of nature.

Her collection reflects her own philosophy: rhyme nor reason—just joy.

One piece, she says, stands out in particular and is

the product of some experimentation.

“That was supposed to be a landscape, and I wanted something with hydrangeas,” she says. “In my head, I was thinking skies, rolling fields, hydrangeas, but I ended up not liking it. So, I took a step back, and I wasn’t feeling it. So, I went to Michael’s and got some gold acrylic like quick flow, and I started tracing the outlines with it, and I went, ‘Oh my God! I love this now.’”

One piece adorning her kitchen wall is of an almost skeletal-looking calla lily. The paint strokes flow on the canvas in an effortless pattern of greens, pinks, blues and the most subtle streaks of white peeking through the layers. Her new series, which hangs on the wall leading down to her studio, is layered landscapes with beautiful cascades of earthy pigments she calls “Perspective.”

Sally’s inspiration takes many forms. She’ll source photos of landscapes from her family’s various vacations (New Orleans swamps covered in Spanish moss, for example). Music from Fleetwood Mac or Chappell Roan, or audiobooks—mostly non-fiction or old English murder mysteries—are also hot commodities for creativity in her home.

Whether it be sight or sound, Sally says she utilizes her environment to spur her creativity.

“Those flowers over there,” she says, referencing a

MountainBrookMagazine.com 17

three-canvas painting of trippy black and white daisies, “that was during a Fleetwood Mac day.”

While she has started selling her work online, Sally says she’s also taking small painting courses online, so she can grow and fine-tune her skills. She says she would love to become more known throughout the Mountain Brook art community, and her local neighborhood tribe has shown a lot of support towards her growth.

“Whether people know it or not, each piece is a reflection of me,” she says, later adding, “doing something new is always scary, but doing it later in life feels like you have to prove yourself even more, and there is no room for errors.”

Sally says being new to the artist community can be scary since one is putting herself out there for the world to see, which can be quite humbling at times. However, her journey as a new artist in Mountain Brook has only been supported by her loved ones.

“I have wonderful family members and neighbors who are very encouraging,” she says. “That is one thing about our community in Mountain Brook in general— everybody is just very supportive. The women are amazing. This street alone is fantastic.”

To see more of Sally Burroughs’s artwork, follow her on Instagram @sallyburroughsart or visit her website at sallyburroughs.com.

THANK YOU FOR VOTING US AS THE BEST FINANCIAL ADVISING GROUP!

WEALTH MANAGEMENT & FAMILY OFFICE SERVICES | WELCHGROUP.COM | 205-879-5001 Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk. It should not be assumed that future performance of any specific investment, or any non-investment related services, will be profitable or prove successful. A copy of our current written disclosure Brochure and Form CRS discussing our advisory services is available upon request or at welchgroup.com. Winners of Mountain Brook‘s Best 2025 were determined by a public online vote. More details and methodology are available upon request.

18 Summer 2025

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20 Summer 2025

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ARTS & CULTURE

READ THIS BOOK

Rachel Owens has been with the O’Neal Library Children’s Department for 16 years. She does weekly story times for babies and lower elementary students, as well as a monthly book club for emerging readers and their parents. She believes the infamous summer slide—when kids lose academic skills over the summer from lack of practice—is easy to prevent. Here, she recommends these first chapter books (all single titles in series) to support newly independent readers. These recommendations are best for students in kindergarten-second grade.

Fun in the Sun Recommendations from

Rachel Owens Children’s Librarian at the O’Neal Library

Kondo and Kezumi Visit Giant Island

By David Goodner | Children’s Fiction Best friends Kondo and Kezumi love their life on a little island with flitter-birds and sparkle-flowers. When a map in a bottle washes up on their shore, Kondo isn’t interested in investigating. Kezumi, on the other hand, builds a boat. Wild adventures await the pair, who must learn not only how to navigate fresh and frightening experiences around them, but also how to solve their own disagreements. Escapades and emotion management—what’s not to like?

Troop Esme

By Lourdes Heuer | Children’s Fiction Someone is ringing the doorbell at the apartment of irrepressible Esme. It’s a future friend! Wendall, of Troop Badger (motto: Dedication, Precision, Excellence), needs to sell some cookies to earn his last badge. His mission inspires Esme to create a troop of her own (motto: Stickers, Luck, Friendship).

Together, they visit each neighbor in the building to sell cookies and recruit Troop Esme members. Children will have lots of laughs as they read along about Esme and Wendall’s colorful tale of entrepreneurship, community and new friends. Readers may even be inspired to learn about how to run their own businesses, too. (Lemonade stands are a great start into entrepreneurship).

Monti and Leo: A Mystery in Pocketville

By Sylvie Kantorovitz | Children’s Fiction An exhibit of figurines at Monti and Leo’s local library inspires others in Pocketville, including Monti, to start their own collections. When the exhibit’s featured item goes missing, some folks start pointing fingers at Monti. Can Leo solve the mystery and save his best friend’s reputation, or will he find out something he doesn’t want to know? Empathy takes center stage in this gem of a graphic novel, and readers will learn the importance of being a good friend even during tough times.

Lone Wolf Goes to School

By Kiah Thomas | Children’s Fiction What better way to wrap up your summer than with a story about going to school? Some kids are nervous they won’t make friends when they start school; Lone Wolf is nervous that he will, actually. When his teacher sends him out, he searches high and low for a place without other people. Movies? Beach?

Mountains? Fits of giggles will ensue as Lone Wolf’s efforts to be alone are foiled again and again.

Welcome to the Woofmore

By Donna Gephart and Lori Haskins Houran | Children’s Fiction Rufus is a service-minded pup who’s eager to help make everything “pawfect” for the grand opening of the Woofmore Hotel. When VIP (Very Important Pooch) guest Greta Garbark arrives for a vacation, Rufus’s job is to keep her happy. It’s too bad the hotel seems to have fallen victim to a flea infestation. Can the Woofmore survive its first week? Readers don’t have to be dog-lovers to appreciate this big-hearted and punny caper.

22 Summer 2025

SCHOOL

&SPORTS

RAISING LOUD VOICES Students vocalize the transformative power of hope during the TEDxYouth conference.

BY ANNA GRACE MOORE PHOTOS BY KELSEA SCHAFER MountainBrookMagazine.com 23

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Lulu Gribbin held every heart captive during her talk at the 11th annual TEDxYouth@MBJH event.

“Imagine looking down at your hand and there’s nothing there–just flesh and bone,” she says. “This seemed like a scene out of a movie, but it was my reality.”

The Mountain Brook High School sophomore shocked the world in June 2024 when news broke that she was brutally attacked by a shark while on vacation in Florida. On what seemed like a perfect day, Lulu says she endured her darkest day–hope was her only guiding light.

Ten other student-speakers–all Mountain Brook Junior High ninth graders–took to the stage to further grasp audience members’ attention, enlightening everyone in attendance about the ripple effect hope can cause in one’s community on Saturday, Feb. 22 at Crestline Elementary School.

Sponsored by Mountain Brook Schools’ Director of Technology Suzan Brandt, the MBJH TED-Ed Club is an extension of the TED-Ed Student Talks program, which aims to amplify student voices, connecting them with other likeminded young professionals around the world.

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By giving students a microphone, these “Mockingbirds” radicalize the capability of hope, and furthermore, spread word of its impact to the far corners of the world.

“The next morning, I woke up intubated,” Lulu says, describing her recovery. “I could barely breathe or talk on my own. I definitely do not recommend being intubated. Only the next morning, they took out the tube, and the first words I said were, ‘I made it.’ The outcome did not matter.

What mattered was I made it, even though life would be different.”

There was not a dry eye in the house as Lulu shared how she not only lost her left hand in the attack, but also how she had to have part of her leg amputated as a result. The 16-year-old sophomore spent months in recovery–learning to walk again was the least of her family’s worries at the time.

She says she was flown from a hospital in Pensacola, Florida, to another hospital in North Carolina, where she spent time in a pediatric intensive care unit and rehab center. While there, Lulu says there were so many other patients in worse condition than her.

One could hear the audible gasp from several audience members, beginning to fathom how any child could endure suffering worse than hers.

Remarkably, even through her near-death experience, Lulu says she clung to hope–that bleak light in the darkness–pushing her to survive.

“I chose to fight,” she says. “I chose to do it for the people who didn’t make it and for the people who never got the chance.”

Lulu posed an important question during her talk: What does it mean to never give up? Over time, she revealed that one has to be willing to first accept

failure because hardly ever does one achieve success on his first try.

Rather, failure teaches perseverance, which is the only road leading to accomplishment. Learning how to use her prosthetic limbs, trying–and failing– numerous times before she could even stand on her own, she says it was hope that enabled her to overcome–the same hope that encouraged Riva Shuster Hirsch, a Holocaust survivor, to endure what are arguably the six worst years in human history.

When Hampton Doobrow, Riva’s great-grandson, MountainBrookMagazine.com 25

took to the stage, he began counting, “1939, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45,” referring to the years Adolf Hitler stole from millions of Jewish people, forcing them into concentration camps, carrying out mass genocides against an entire continent of innocent people. One could hear a pen drop during Hampton’s talk.

He says Riva was only 7 when Nazis invaded her village in Romania. Although she and her family fled into the woods, they were eventually captured and split up into multiple concentration camps.

During her journey, Riva was rescued from one of the camps and hid-out in an underground convent.

According to an online biography on Riva, published by the Alabama Holocaust Education Center at ahecinfo.org, she spent two years in isolation, fed bits of bread by nuns every few days, with only rats and mice for company during her hiding.

“In 1945, at the age of 12, Riva was liberated,” the AHEC says in the biography. “She was suffering from malaria and typhus and had lost all of her teeth. The nuns carried her weak body to the road and left her there. Picked up by some other survivors on the road, she was taken to Chernovitz, where she was handed over to the Red Cross.”

Hampton says every day, people make around 35,000 decisions. In today’s world, his biggest decision thus far has been about his Bar Mitzvah, and yet, at 13, Riva was fighting with all of her might 26 Summer 2025

to simply live post-WWII. He says because of her hope, she not only survived, but she also paved the way for future generations of her lineage–including him–to lead the best lives possible. Hope is a powerful thing because in the heart of the righteous, it can cause a ripple effect of positive change across the globe.

While not every student-speaker had endured significant trauma, some spoke on their childhood memories–the good and the bad–and how these experiences shaped their perceptions of reality.

“Ladies and gentlemen, there is one rule and only one rule in the third through eighth grade Mockingbird Regional District Spelling Bee: You cannot be the first one out,” Elliot Pitner says, later introducing herself, saying, “hello ladies and gentlemen, my name is Elliot Pitner, and I was the first one out.”

Then just a fourth grader, Elliot says she studied for hours and could spell words including “millfouie” or “Auf Wiedersehen,” yet it was a simple word that eliminated her from the competition. This broke her poor, 10-year-old heart.

She jokes that she did not have much going for her in fourth grade. A quiet kid, she spent lunch and recess glued to her studies when she could have been making friends.

It was only her failure that awoke her to this realization: Self-worth is defined by her identity,

TEDXYOUTH SPEAKERS Please join us in recognizing these talented students for sharing their stories at the 11th annual TEDxYouth@MBJH event: Lulu Gribbin

Kaitlyn Jansen

Luke Cribbs

Caty Van Ball

Thomas Moak

Will Eagan

Sydney Pitner

Elliot Pitner

Claire Allendorf

Colin Stewart

every child takes center stage.

Hampton Doobrow

not her agency.

“Agency, noun, Latin origin, is defined as the sense of control over your own thoughts and behavior and to have faith in your ability to handle a wide range of circumstances and tasks,” she says.

“That story, and how it defines me as a person, isn’t about losing a spelling bee. That should’ve never mattered in the first place. It’s about me putting my life, my sense of self, who I was into a silly competition. When it didn’t work out, I became less valuable, less stable. My worth was a direct result of my performance, and when it fell through as all things inevitably do, I viewed myself as less-than.”

Elliot says she learned through trial and error that inherent value comes not from awards or recognition but from one’s ability to figure out and love who he is as a person.

“The solution? Root your agency in who you are,” she says. “Develop an identity outside of your accomplishments.”

Where hope comes into play, she says, is in one’s belief that things will get better. Although uncomfortable at first, this road to self-discovery will not lend itself to an easy path as failure is not often an easy pill to swallow.

Even though Lulu survived a shark attack and learned to walk again, and Riva survived the Holocaust and later dedicated her life to serving others, neither of them root their agencies in the trauma that for so long reigned over their lives.

Similarly to Elliot, they both learned over time that their identities were rooted in their ability to persevere and their willingness to share how hope lit their paths.

As the conference progressed, every single student-speaker wowed audience members on how they discovered or were learning about themselves,

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MountainBrookMagazine.com 27

developing their agency in one thing–hope, and the power it has to transform lives.

Like a light in the dark, hope will ignite a culture of reformation, beginning with those who understand their identity and utilize their experiences to help others. Thanks to Suzan Brandt and the TEDxYouth@MBJH conference, this self-

28 Summer 2025

discovery is becoming a global phenomenon, and its catalyst is burning in the hearts of Mountain Brook students–each a Mockingbird with a microphone, ready to share how hope will change the world.

To learn more about Mountain Brook Schools’ TED-Ed Club, visit tedxyouthmbjh.com.

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SCHOOL & SPORTS

5

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR

John Woolard

Fifth Grade Science Teacher at Brookwood Forest Elementary School PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

A Massachusetts native, John Woolard first ventured to the Yellowhammer state to attend the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he graduated in 2001 with his Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. He later earned his MEd in Technology in Education, National Board Certification and PhD in Educational Studies with a specialization in Adult Learning from Lesley University. Before coming to work for the Mountain Brook Schools system, he served as a science specialist with the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative for six years. He now teaches fifth grade science at Brookwood Forest Elementary School. Here, John elaborates on his love for teaching and the importance of educators in raising up future generations.

What is the greatest gift educators can pass on to their students?

The greatest gifts we can pass on to our students are curiosity, critical thinking, caring for others and valuing the collective intelligence of others. If you are curious, then you will likely pursue knowledge. If you have the ability to think critically, then you are equipped to handle situations as they arise. If you care for others, then you meet them where they are and support them accordingly. If you value the collective intelligence of others, you don’t Looking back on all of the educators need to be the smartest person in the room you had, who do you think had the because you surround yourself with others who are great at what they do. greatest impact on you?

Dr. Maryann Manning, my professor at UAB, taught me to consume knowledge What classroom memory has inspired and read professional literature to grow you the most during your career?

The most inspiring memory of my career my craft. She saw potential, spoke life into my calling and introduced me to many was when I taught a self-contained fourth great educators and authors. My high grade class about 20 years ago. I developed integrated unit called the school music teacher, Barry Low, was also an Challenge,” where instrumental–no pun intended–in “Transportation developing my character. His love of students were tasked with creating an innovative means of transportation. They teaching and his students was profound.

Where did your passion for teaching originate?

My passion for teaching is a culmination of many people who mentored me, but it originated from my mom. She fostered my passion for the outdoors, learning and God. From an early age, my parents served in a children’s home, demonstrating what it meant to help young people see their potential. I took on that heart, sharing what I learned and making meaningful connections.

30 Summer 2025

received a “grant,” budgeted, wrote checks for parts and consultations, made blueprints, built, tested and modified their device. It was a blast, but the best part was when a dad pulled me aside after seeing his daughter’s project and told me he was convinced to buy a house in Hoover, so she could stay in our district.

Which lessons do you love teaching the most, and how do your students fall more in love with the material during this time, too?

I’m inspired daily by God’s creation. I marvel at what He’s done and how His signature is on everything around us–it’s perfect. My students can sense the wonder and joy I get from teaching about the environment, its stewardship and how it’s interconnected. This curiosity about nature is contagious. Curiosity fuels creativity and a hunger to know and do more. It has the potential to unlock amazing passion within us that brings joy and fellowship with people and experiences that might otherwise be impossible.

&DRINK

FOOD

BAKER’S REVERIE

David Griner carries on Carole Griffin’s legacy in English Village and beyond.

BY ANNA GRACE MOORE PHOTOS BY BLAIR RAMSEY & ARIK SOKOL MountainBrookMagazine.com 31

32 Summer 2025

F

Forty years after founding Continental Bakery, Carole Griffin announced on the business’ Instagram page on Wednesday, Feb. 5 that she was retiring, having sold the bakery and her restaurant Chez Lulu to her mentee, David Griner. Then-acting general manager, David first joined the team in February 2024 on a sabbatical from his 20-yearplus career in marketing, eager to try something different.

The Madison, Alabama, native first made the trek to Birmingham in 1996 to intern with The Birmingham Post-Herald. Covering crime in downtown Birmingham in the ‘90s, he says, was traumatizing as the city was navigating serious socio-economic disparities.

All that began to change in the early-to-mid 2000s.

“I came back to visit in 2005, and I was like, ‘Hey, things are changing. I would actually love to be a part of this,’ and, I’ve been here ever since,” he says.

Similarly, Carole gave Birmingham a second chance after her travels abroad led her back to the Magic City. An Indian Springs School graduate, Carole attended Rice University, studying English

and French.

She later settled down in Texas, fully intending to pursue a career as a midwife. During this time, she began working at a local bakery–the catalyst for what would become her lifelong love for baking.

Carole went on to travel the world, from frontlining the pop band, Sugar LaLas, to vacationing in France, learning the baking style of Lionel Poilâne.

Upon visiting Birmingham, Carole decided to put down her roots and create a place where her creativity could come to life. Thus, Continental Bakery was born in 1985.

“It is largely a Southern bakery that was very expected, maybe, in Alabama, but her travels inspired her to make it more French and make more ambitious recipes,” David says.

While in Paris, Carole was given a sourdough boule–a very large, 2-kilogram sourdough–from one of the world’s most famous bakeries–Poilâne.

Uniquely, this bakery introduced the concept of a country loaf–a Pain de compagne–to the Parisians, sparking a worldwide baking phenomenon.

A melting pot of both Southern-American and French baking traditions, Continental Bakery MountainBrookMagazine.com 33

CHEZ LULU’S “CHEF’S PICKS” APPETIZERS

Socca Mediterranean Sampler

SALADS

Tarragon Chicken Salad on Mixed Greens Salade Nicoise

COMBOS

Lulu du Jour Soup & Half House Salad

MAINS

Tarte du Jour Doba a la Nissarda

SANDWICHES

North African Pulled Lamb Neiman Ranch Ham Panini

HAND-TOSSED PIZZAS Catalan Italian Sausage & Red Pepper

became a hallmark of classic breads and confectionery delights nearly overnight.

Influenced by French bakeries and bistros, Carole later decided to open a restaurant of her own, in order to further bring her inner-chef’s passions to fruition. She envisioned a warm, eclectic atmosphere engulfed in vibrancy and moody lighting–a place where all would be welcome and could bond over their appreciation for fine cuisine.

In 1995, she acquired the building next door to the bakery, opening her tiny, intimate bistro—Chez Lulu.

All of the menus sport different, vintage album covers–some from records produced by local bands.

“The thing that I love most about this place is that it goes against every trend in America,” David says.

“It bucks every expectation of what the food industry has tried to do over the 30 years it has 34 Summer 2025

been open.”

As days soon turned into decades, Continental Bakery and Chez Lulu became world-renowned for Carole’s ingenuity in creating bakery items such as the Wild Yeast Sourdough, which takes 24 hours just to make one batch, or Chez Lulu’s signature Doba a la Nissarda–a beef stew served a la niçoise that is slow-simmered in red wine.

“No one who opened a restaurant in 2025 would say, ‘I’m going to make this place,’” David says.

“They would want the coziness. They would want the loyal customers. They would want the vibe, but they would not take the risks and the wild swings Carole did. They would not be willing to have the faith in themselves to create demand. Carole created demand for so many products that no one had ever heard of, and now, they can’t live without them.”

Despite her wildly successful career, Carole will best be remembered for her empathetic heart and her contagious love for life.

“When I first started, I noticed there was a lot of talent,” longtime employee Jeana Cobb says, later adding, “Carole knew how to find talent.”

Jeana first moved to Birmingham for the music, and through a mutual connection, she wound up applying for a baker’s position at the bakery. While the two first bonded over their shared love of “jamin,” Jeana says they formed a lasting friendship–one that encouraged her to develop her passion for baking.

“I love seeing everything come to fruition,” Jeana says of the businesses’ legacies.

David, too, believes that Carole’s greatest success was not necessarily creating two iconic Birmingham brands–it was creating community.

“I feel like all of us here are a generation that was trained by Carole and taken under her wing in a very special place,” he says.

In fact, when he was first hired, he says it was only to find something new and fun to do after having worked in marketing and media for so long.

“I thought I’d be such an outsider, but that was not the vibe at all,” David says. “She was so warm and welcoming to the idea of an outsider coming in and learning.”

When his sabbatical was nearing its end, David says Carole and her partner Shea approached him about staying on–possibly even purchasing the businesses. At first, he thought they must be joking due to his lack of experience.

Yet, he says just like with every other staff member, Carole saw something in him that even he did not see at first–passion worth her investment.

MountainBrookMagazine.com 35

Pictured are Carole Griffin and David Griner.

“She opened a door that changed my life entirely,” he says, smiling.

In November 2024, David officially took over Continental Bakery and Chez Lulu, and thanks to his staff and family’s support, he says this endeavor has been a dream come true.

“The only legacy I really want is to keep this place thriving and successful,” David says, later adding, “if it never expands, if it never visibly gets bigger, I

36 Summer 2025

would be absolutely fine with that as long as it is thriving for the people who work here and for the customers who bring it to life every day and make it part of their lives. Just bringing those moments of happiness and joy to people would feel great.”

To learn more about Continental Bakery or Chez Lulu, read up on the menus or place orders, visit the businesses’ websites, continental-bakery.com and chezlulu.us.

FOOD & DRINK

5

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR

Dedra Miele

Owner and Operator of Chop N Fresh PHOTO BY CHOP N FRESH

Chop N Fresh was founded in 2016 by two close friends, Jim Xue and Yunus Hassan, who wanted to help the restaurant industry shift towards “making healthy” both delicious and accessible. The brainchild of their imagination, Chop N Fresh, first opened in Huntsville, Alabama, and expanded into the Lane Parke entertainment district in November 2022.

Here, Mountain Brook store owner and operator Dedra Miele details the founding of the business and the best items to order.

What is your background in the food industry?

I have more than 20 years of experience in the food industry. From serving local businesses as the director of event management to the marketing/public relations manager, and now, the owner and operator of Chop, my experience is broad. My business partner Zeel Zavari wanted to bring a restaurant to the area that made fresh and healthy options more accessible. He visited Chop N Fresh in Huntsville several times and loved the food and concept. Later on, he approached me with the idea, and the rest is history.

Alabama, Kale Caesar and Cobb Boom.

These are our crowd-pleasers! For the What is the best item to order on the adventurous eaters, I would recommend a custom salad, where they can try one of menu?

The Southwest and Sweet Bowl our scratch-made dressings with whatever Alabama are our number-one salads. The toppings catch their eye. You never know Southwest salad is bursting with romaine, what combination will strike a chord until spring mix, roasted chicken, tomatoes, you try it. roasted corn, white cheddar, cilantro, tortilla strips, spicy sunflower seeds and is What would you like to say to Mountain bathed in house-made Chipotle honey Brook patrons for their support of your dressing. The dressing alone is worth business?

I am so grateful for your support of our getting the salad! The Sweet Bowl Alabama is the perfect blend of sweet and small business. Your patronage has made savory, packed with a shredded kale base, a huge impact on our growth. Your trust roasted chicken, warm wild rice, roasted and loyalty in our brand has been What about the menu makes this sweet potatoes, crisp apples, tangy goat invaluable and has helped us grow and business stand out from others similar cheese, crunchy toasted almonds and thrive. I am truly blessed to have tossed in a creamy balsamic vinaigrette customers like you, and I am forever to it in the community? grateful for your support!

We live the “fresh life” here. Every dressing. This salad is truly my favorite! dressing is made-from-scratch in house, Chop N Fresh is located at 291 Rele and every ingredient is kept as clean as For newcomers and adventurous Street in Mountain Brook. It is open eaters, what menu items would you possible to deliver the true taste of the Monday-Saturday from 10:30 a.m.-8 recommend to each and why? season. No antibiotics, no preservatives, For our newcomers, I would recommend p.m. and Sunday from 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m. no fillers–just amazing food! We use local ingredients–organic, vegan and some of our most popular signatures such For more information, visit chopnfresh. vegetarian options–all in a clean, fresh as The Southwestern, Sweet Bowl com.

38 Summer 2025

environment.

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MountainBrookMagazine.com 39

A New Day in Healthcare.

Even Better Together

When two leading healthcare systems come together, extraordinary things happen. As Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital — now strengthened by awardwinning healthcare leader Orlando Health — we are bringing you expert medical care with the patient-first approach you deserve. With an even brighter future ahead, we’re excited to enhance exceptional, faith-based care in your community.

Giving you more reasons to choose well. BaptistHealthAL.com/BrookwoodHospital

&STYLE

HOME

NESTLED IN SERENITY Jodie and Dorothy Smith’s 1939 home has only aged gracefully through intentional interior design.

BY ANNA GRACE MOORE PHOTOS BY BLAIR RAMSEY MountainBrookMagazine.com 41

Face of the Home The shingle-style exterior alludes to the transcendent beauty of the house’s original build.

C

Cradled between towering pine trees, this beautiful, American Colonial-style home reflects rays of sunlight seeping through the plethora of branches swaying overhead. Resting on an idyllic street corner, the home receives a host of passersby– children pedaling down the street and around the curve on their bikes, or mothers happily chatting away, pushing their newborns in their strollers.

Originally built in 1939, this estate has weathered the rise of its surrounding neighborhood, and yet, it remains a staple of architectural opulence on the block. Its street is actually what first drew homeowners Jodie and Dorothy Smith to the neighborhood in 2003.

Celebrating 35 years of joyful union, Jodie and Dorothy’s meet-cute occurred while they were students at Birmingham-Southern College. After tying the knot, they traveled all over, pursuing higher education before starting their family and moving back home to Birmingham.

In 2010, they jumped at an opportunity to purchase this generational residence on their “dream street,” spending the first few years in the home focused on raising their children. Then in

42 Summer 2025

March 2020–just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic–they embarked on another dream of theirs–remodeling their kitchen.

Uniquely, the Smiths’ first home’s kitchen was the center focus of the house, so Dorothy wanted to replicate this design during their renovation. They became connected with Katrina Porter Designs and Gary Speegle of BECA Residential Construction, who began the remodel by gutting the original kitchen to the studs.

Next, they elongated the kitchen island and perimeter countertops before knocking out the adjacent wall to transform a hall closet into a wet bar. From there, they remodeled the powder room next to the wet bar, as well as the breakfast nook connecting the kitchen to the dining room parlor.

Now standing in the kitchen, one’s line of sight can reach nearly every other room in the house.

Thanks to Katrina and Gary, this design allows for the Smith family to cook meals and eat with one another in the “heart” of their home.

As stunning as this architectural marvel may be, this house was built with family in mind, and that’s exactly how the Smiths intend to keep it.

Dining Room Parlor Vintage from the 1920s, this Art Deco table featured above was handcrafted entirely out of one piece of wood. Dorothy sourced the dining room chairs’ brightly colored upholstery from King Cotton for a bit of added flair. Handmade in Venice, Italy, the dining room’s chandelier is a Murano glass handblown chandelier. An original by Meredith Keith, this urban cityscape depicts a scene in Europe. While it is a more modern painting, Dorothy says it connects her home today with her Dutch heritage.

MountainBrookMagazine.com 43

Kitchen and Breakfast Nook Dorothy loves how the kitchen’s open, inviting design lends itself to a more welcoming atmosphere for her family. Utilizing Alabama White Marble for the countertops, Dorothy says Katrina encouraged this more traditional stone to honor the age of the house. Dorothy chose this translucent glass for the backsplash because it reflects light well, illuminating the open concept. The breakfast nook’s high-back bench originally sported a bright red leather, but it was reupholstered to match the color palette of the kitchen’s renovation.

44 Summer 2025

Den A site of fellowship, the Smith family enjoys relaxing in the den, bonding with one another in conversation.

Engulfing the den with natural light, the French doors giving way to the patio ground this room’s interior design in sophisticated functionality.

BEHIND THE SCENES INTERIOR DESIGN: Katrina Porter, Katrina Porter Designs CONSTRUCTION: Gary Speegle, BECA Residential Construction, LLC MountainBrookMagazine.com 45

Wet Bar To open up the kitchen, the hall closet once blocking the open concept’s posterior view was torn out, and this niche, little bar was built in its place.

Powder Room This space was remodeled during the kitchen’s renovation.

Dorothy opted for the silver-toned, textured wallpaper featured to bring out the undertones in the vanity’s marble. The cabinets in this room were handmade to match the kitchen’s cabinetry, too.

46 Summer 2025

Living Room Many pieces in this room are Dorothy’s family heirlooms dating back to the 1800s. Circa the mid-1800s, this armoire has been passed down through Dorothy’s family for generations. Dorothy’s father first purchased this desk for her, when she was in the fifth grade. Now, it rests in her living room facing a large, well-lit window, which provides the perfect space for light reading.

MountainBrookMagazine.com 47

C R R A EEK D E C

NURSERY

48 Summer 2025

A Legacy of

LEADERSHIP

THIRTY-TWO YEARS AFTER ASSUMING THE ROLE OF CITY MANAGER, SAM GASTON IS PASSING ON THE REINS, LEAVING BEHIND THREE DECADES OF SERVICE TO THE MOUNTAIN BROOK COMMUNITY.

BY ANNA GRACE MOORE | PHOTOS BY BLAIR RAMSEY & CONTRIBUTED

MountainBrookMagazine.com 49

50 Summer 2025

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Minutes clocked by like hours in that stuffy, old church. Thick and hot, the air settled over the Sunday morning crowd in a dense fog, wilting men’s shirt collars with sweat.

Mamas in wide-brimmed hats and flowery dresses sat nodding along to the sermon, fanning themselves with hymnals. Church goers squeezed shoulder-toshoulder into the long, cedar pews that creaked and moaned each time a person moved.

Little Sam Gaston, who was no more than 7, sat wriggling, trying to break his hand free from his mother’s tight grasp. Though try as he might, his escape attempts proved unsuccessful.

Plagued with apathy, he huffed a big sigh before slumping down in his seat, staring aimlessly at the peeling white paint on the ceiling overhead.

A preacher’s kid, Sam spent every week in church growing up.

He knew all the Bible stories. He could name all the Bible characters. He could even recite parts of the

sermons being rehearsed over and over before they debuted each Sunday.

His father, a Baptist minister, and his mother, who taught Sunday school, knew every member by name.

After every service, they both took time to greet each attendee, offering a firm handshake and a warm smile.

Sometimes following services, they would invite church members over for lunch, or they would visit families in need, always with a casserole in tow.

Sam never forgot those Sundays.

A SERVANT’S HEART Thirty-two years have passed in the blink of an eye, according to the Russellville, Alabama, native, who was first hired as Mountain Brook City Manager in 1993. Now the longest-serving city manager in Mountain Brook’s history, Sam says he was only 19 years old, when he got the itch to pursue a career in public administration.

MountainBrookMagazine.com 51

Both of his parents spent decades serving in church ministries, and through them, he learned the value of having a servant’s heart.

“They were always a great example to me of service to others,” he says.

Initially wanting to become an accountant, Sam chuckles, recalling how his plans were halted after taking his first accounting course. Then a student at Northwest Alabama State Junior College, he later transferred to Auburn University, where he changed his major to public administration after learning a city near his hometown hired a city manager.

“I remember the article my mother saved for me,” he says. “I thought, ‘Wow, this is so exciting to run a city!’”

During the summer before his senior year, he completed an internship at the Northwest Alabama Council of Local Governments, where he became connected with his mentor, Jim Price.

“He was very enthusiastic, and he cemented my desire to go into local government,” Sam says.

Having earned both his Bachelor and Master of Public Administration degrees from Auburn, Sam’s first job out of graduate school was as a city planner in Decatur. He oversaw zoning and subdivision regulation but knew his dream career would challenge him further to “see the big picture.”

He later made the southern trek to Gulf Shores, where he became the planning director and assistant to the city administrator for three years. Then, he became the planning director and the assistant city 52 Summer 2025

manager in Anniston for five years. Afterwards, Powder Springs, Georgia, came calling, and Sam ventured to the Peach State to work in his dream role as city manager.

He was there only for a year before Mountain Brook’s city manager position became vacant. Out of 340 applicants, Sam jokes he was probably down near the bottom of the first 100 on the list as both the youngest and possibly least experienced candidate.

Yet, the Mountain Brook City Council’s hiring committee wanted someone with Alabama experience, and after several rounds of interviews, Sam’s heart shone through, winning over the Council with a 3-2 vote.

On June 14, 1993, Sam took office for the first time in Mountain Brook. Since his hiring, he says one of his first, big hurdles was helping the city climb out of a budget deficit, ensuring all departments operate efficiently.

He also faced several infrastructure and employee issues when he first started, having to remind himself that Rome, as they say, was not built in a day. Over the years, he helped develop a strong staff among the city’s governing bodies, and today, he supervises these departments, often acting as a liaison between the public and the department heads.

Some of his biggest responsibilities include drafting City Council agendas and meeting plans, working with the city’s finance director to streamline budget operations and addressing concerns from citizens.

“The success that we have had here has been from

SAM’S TWO CENTS Founded in December 1914, the International City/ County Management Association (ICMA) is an assembly of professionals in various governments who are motivated to improve the quality of life for people all over the world by creating communities that help residents thrive.

Boasting 13,000 members, the ICMA provides professional development assistance and training tailored towards creating leaders. A longtime member of the ICMA, Sam Gaston served as president of the organization from 2011 to 2012.

“I would encourage any young person who would want to enter this profession to do an internship, get involved in ICMA.” -Sam Gaston, Mountain Brook City Manager While ICMA has numerous student chapters across the nation, the first-ever student chapter was formed under Sam’s guidance at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2009. To this day, helping found this group and encouraging students in their professions has been one of his proudest accomplishments.

SUBSCRIBE NOW!

To learn more about ICMA and how to join, visit icma.org.

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teamwork–very progressive and forward-thinking mayors and city councils over the years,” he says.

Notably, Sam says neither the mayor nor the Mountain Brook City Council receive a dime for their work. Everything they do is for the betterment of their constituents.

“They do it because they love the community,” he says. “It’s part of their civic duty.”

Sam’s wife of 44 years, Debby Gaston, was serving as the Russellville Chamber of Commerce Director when their paths first crossed. After becoming city manager, Sam helped create the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce, having served on the Chamber board since its inception.

Throughout his tenure, Sam has also aided the rise of commercial developments including Cahaba Village and Lane Parke, which have increased tax revenue for the city. From his advocacy, the city has also constructed 48 miles–soon to be 50 miles–of sidewalks, connecting the city villages, schools,

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churches, neighborhoods and more, making Mountain Brook one of the most walkable cities in Alabama.

“We are blessed with a quality of life that’s unsurpassed in the rest of the state,” he says.

Yet, out of all of these accomplishments, Sam says his proudest achievement has been earning the respect of Mountain Brook patrons. Over the years, he has seen citizens donate to worthy causes, never expecting anything in return.

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation of

54 Summer 2025

Alabama, Libby’s Friends, the McWane Science Center, The Birmingham Zoo–all of these places and more he says have been heavily funded by Mountain Brook locals, who have a passion to fund organizations that serve those in need.

“Mountain Brook people are very generous,” Sam says, later adding, “When it boils down to bettering the community, as long as the community is benefiting and moving forward, they’re not wanting a pat on the back. This is their civic duty–their civic rent. I’ve been very impressed by that.”

PAYING BLESSINGS FORWARD Three decades is a long time to serve in any role, but because of the locals’ support, Sam says he has been able to do what he loves for so many years. He feels confident in passing the reins over to Mountain Brook Finance Director and Assistant City Manager Steve Boone, who after Sam’s retirement in November 2025, will become the next city manager.

“I have a tremendous amount of gratitude and appreciation to the mayor and council and our staff here and also the residents of Mountain Brook for being such big supporters and encouragers to me over the last 32 years,” he says.

To Sam, there is no greater calling than to put the needs of others before one’s own. He witnessed this firsthand, watching his parents serve so many members of his community as a child.

While he did not know it then, he realizes now that all of those Sundays contributed to his desire to help people–to make a difference in people’s lives.

Although he first learned to model this character from his parents, Sam says he sees this compassion lived out every day through the many residents who continually give of themselves to bless those in need.

Thanks to such altruistic hearts, Mountain Brook has become a safe haven both to grow up and grow old, and now, the world is benefiting from this wonderful community and the city manager who helped build it.

MountainBrookMagazine.com 55

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MOUNTAIN BROOK’S BEST OF WINNERS 2025

BEST SWEET TREATS AND BEST PLACE FOR A FAMILY OUTING Mountain Brook Creamery

Who’s the best? We asked, and you answered. Thousands of votes were cast in Mountain Brook Magazine’s annual Best of contest. Read on to find out our readers’ favorites in Mountain Brook.

Photos by Sydney Allen, Anna Grace Moore & Contributed

MountainBrookMagazine.com 57

BEST BURGER, BEST BEER SELECTION AND BEST BARTENDER Otey’s Tavern Crestline and Jennifer Lier at Otey’s Tavern Crestline

FOOD & DRINK BEST BAKERY

Continental Bakery 1907 Cahaba Rd. Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-870-5584 Runners Up: Olexa’s Catering, Cafe and Cakes, Daughters Baking BEST BARTENDER Jennifer Lier – Otey’s Tavern Crestline 224 Country Club Pk. Mountain Brook, AL 35213 205-871-8435 Runners Up: Ramsay LaDuke – Otey’s Tavern Crestline, Chris Moore – Vino BEST BEER SELECTION Otey’s Tavern – Crestline 224 Country Club Pk. Mountain Brook, AL 35213 205-871-8435 Runners Up: Slice Pizza & Brew – Crestline, Vino

58 Summer 2025

BEST WINE SELECTION

BEST BURGER

Golden Age Wine 2828 Culver Rd. Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-848-8877

Otey’s Tavern – Crestline 224 Country Club Pk. Mountain Brook, AL 35213 205-871-8435

Runners Up: Piggly Wiggly – Crestline, Vino

Runners Up: Porch, Gus’s Hot Dogs

BEST COCKTAILS

BEST CASUAL DINING

Key Circle Commons 2010 Cahaba Rd. Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-460-1088

Davenport’s Pizza Palace – Mountain Brook 2837 Cahaba Rd. Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-879-8603

Runners Up: Vino, Otey’s Tavern – Crestline

Runners Up: Taco Mama – Crestline, Chop N Fresh

BEST BRUNCH

BEST CATERER

Porch 2 Dexter Ave. Mountain Brook, AL 35213 205-739-2083

Taco Mama – Crestline 63 Church St. Mountain Brook, AL 35213 205-414-9314

Runners Up: Ladybird Taco, Another Broken Egg Cafe

Runners Up: Chop N Fresh, Craft’s on Church Street

BEST WINE SELECTION Golden Age Wine

BEST DATE NIGHT RESTAURANT Dyron’s Lowcountry 121 Oak St. Mountain Brook, AL 35213 205-834-8257 Runners Up: Vino, Little Betty Steak Bar BEST ETHNIC DINING Surin of Thailand – Mountain Brook 64 Church St. Mountain Brook, AL 35213 205-871-4531 Runners Up: Abhi Eatery and Bar, La Paz Restaurant & Catering – Crestline BEST FRIENDLY SERVICE Chop N Fresh 291 Rele St. Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-438-6655 Runners Up: Davenport’s Pizza Palace – Mountain Brook, Vino BEST KID-FRIENDLY DINING Davenport’s Pizza Palace – Mountain Brook 2837 Cahaba Rd. Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-879-8603 Runners Up: Craft’s on Church Street, Taco Mama – Crestline BEST LUNCH SPOT Chop N Fresh 291 Rele St. Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-438-6655 Runners Up: Porch, Craft’s on Church Street BEST MARGARITA Taco Mama – Crestline 63 Church St. Mountain Brook, AL 35213 205-414-9314 Runners Up: La Paz Restaurant & Catering – Crestline, Frida’s Cocina & Cantina

BEST CHEF

BEST COFFEE

Chris Melville – Dyron’s Lowcountry 121 Oak St. Mountain Brook, AL 35213 205-834-8257

Church Street Coffee & Books 81 Church St. Mountain Brook, AL 35213 205-870-1117

Runners Up: Daniel Briggs – Daniel George Restaurant, Kyle Biddy – Little Betty Steak Bar

Runners Up: Santos Coffee – Mountain Brook, Continental Bakery

BEST PATIO DINING Vino 1930 Cahaba Rd. Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-870-8404 Runners Up: Otey’s Tavern – Crestline, Porch

MountainBrookMagazine.com 59

BEST PIZZA Davenport’s Pizza Palace – Mountain Brook 2837 Cahaba Rd. Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-879-8603 Runners Up: Slim’s Pizzeria, Slice Pizza & Brew – Crestline BEST SWEET TREATS Mountain Brook Creamery 2715 Cahaba Rd. Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-870-0092 Runners Up: Continental Bakery, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams BEST UPSCALE RESTAURANT Dyron’s Lowcountry 121 Oak St. Mountain Brook, AL 35213 205-834-8257 Runners Up: Little Betty Steak Bar, Daniel George Restaurant

BEST MARGARITA AND BEST CATERER Taco Mama – Crestline

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MOUNTAIN BROOK’S

BEST WINE

SELECTION

2828 Culver Rd, Mountain Brook www.goldenagewine.com 205 848 8877

“We are committed to helping you find the right wine for every occasion, whether weeknight bottles, celebration bottles, or gifts. While you're here, order a wine flight or share a bottle with an old friend or potential new business connection.”

- Brandon Loper and Trent Stewart

MountainBrookMagazine.com 61

COMMUNITY

BEST COMMUNITY EVENT Village Dermatology’s Botox & Bingo – Benefiting The WellHouse 2900 Cahaba Rd. Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-877-9773 Runners Up: Mystics of Mountain Brook Halloween Parade, Otey’s Fest BEST LOCAL CAUSE Libby’s Friends libbysfriends.org Runners Up: The Lulu Strong Foundation, Magic Moments BEST LOCAL FESTIVAL Otey’s Fest facebook.com/oteystavern Runners Up: Mystics of Mountain Brook Halloween Parade, Art in the Village BEST LOCAL PERSONALITY George Jones – Owner of Snoozy’s Kids 228 County Club Pk. Mountain Brook, AL 35213 205-871-2662 Runners Up: Chef Rodney Davis – Otey’s Tavern Crestline, Gates Smallwood – Financial Advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors BEST OUTDOOR SPOT Jemison Park 2615 Mountain Brook Pkwy.

Mountain Brook, AL 35243 Runners Up: Otey’s Tavern – Crestline, Chop N Fresh BEST PLACE FOR A FAMILY OUTING Mountain Brook Creamery 2715 Cahaba Rd. Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-870-0092 Runners Up: Craft’s on Church Street, Jemison Trail BEST PLACE FOR A KID’S BIRTHDAY Davenport’s Pizza Palace – Mountain Brook 2837 Cahaba Rd. Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-879-8603 Runners Up: Buff City Soap, Mountain Brook Gymnastics

62 Summer 2025

BEST CASUAL DINING, BEST KID-FRIENDLY DINING, BEST PIZZA AND BEST PLACE FOR A KID’S BIRTHDAY Davenport’s Pizza Palace – Mountain Brook

BEST BAKERY Continental Bakery

BEST PLACE OF WORSHIP Mountain Brook Baptist Church 3631 Montevallo Rd. Mountain Brook, AL 35213 205-871-0331 Runners Up: Canterbury United Methodist Church, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church BEST PASTOR Pastor Wayne Splawn – Mountain Brook Baptist Church 3631 Montevallo Rd. Mountain Brook, AL 35213 205-871-0331 Runners Up: The Rev. Richmond R. Webster – St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Pastor Matthew Montgomery – Canterbury United Methodist Church BEST TEACHER Katie Seeger – Brookwood Forest Elementary 3701 South Brookwood Rd. Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-414-3700 Runners Up: Mary Margaret Moore – Mountain Brook Elementary, Andrew Cotton – Mountain Brook Junior High

I’m so thankful to be your trusted neighbor and local real estate expert. It’s an honor to help so many of you find home right here in our community. If you’re thinking about making a move, trust in the best to help you change your address—I’m here for you every step of the way!

205.447.7724 jcallahan@raypoynor.com MountainBrookMagazine.com 63

BEST ORTHODONTICS PRACTICE Weissman Orthodontics

HEALTH & FITNESS BEST DOCTOR

Dr. Holly Gunn – Gunn Dermatology 391 Rele St. Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-415-7536 32 Church St. Mountain Brook, AL 35213 205-415-7536 Runners Up: Dr. Jeremy Edgerly – Mountain Brook Eye Care, Dr. Jenny Sobera – Village Dermatology Mountain Brook BEST CHIROPRACTIC CARE PRACTICE Hassig Family Chiropractic 68 Church St., Suite B Mountain Brook, AL 35213 205-879-4046 Runners Up: The Joint Chiropractic, Optimal Healing Chiropractic Clinic BEST DENTAL PRACTICE Mountain Brook Smiles 120 Office Park Dr., Suite 240 Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-423-9140 Runners Up: Weissman Orthodontics, Hufham Orthodontics

64 Summer 2025

BEST ORTHODONTICS PRACTICE Weissman Orthodontics 36 Church St. Mountain Brook, AL 35213 205-803-1115 Runners Up: Hufham Orthodontics, PT Orthodontics BEST DERMATOLOGY PRACTICE Village Dermatology – Mountain Brook 2900 Cahaba Rd. Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-877-9773 Runners Up: Gunn Dermatology, Dermatology & Laser of Alabama BEST ESTHETICIAN Kim Halvorson – Village Dermatology Mountain Brook 2900 Cahaba Rd. Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-877-9773

Runners Up: Ignite Cycle, Total Fitness Consultants BEST PERSONAL TRAINER Mike Smith – Meta Fitness Studio 3150 Overton Rd. Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-783-1218 Runners Up: Kelly Campbell – Ignite Cycle, Maggie Wambsganss – ARCHIVE by PM Method BEST OPTOMETRY PRACTICE Mountain Brook Eye Care 921 Jemison Ln. Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-341-9595 Runners Up: MyEyeDr., Alabama Vision Center BEST PHARMACY

Runners Up: Anna Rose Mabile – Gunn Dermatology, Randel Hitt – Gunn Dermatology

Crestline Pharmacy 60 Church St. Mountain Brook, AL 35213 205-871-0317

BEST FITNESS CENTER

Runners Up: Ritch’s Pharmacy, Harbin Discount Pharmacy

Meta Fitness Studio 3150 Overton Rd. Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-783-1218

MountainBrookMagazine.com 65

BEST SPA Gunn Dermatology 391 Rele St. Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-415-7536 32 Church St. Mountain Brook, AL 35213 205-415-7536 Runners Up: Village Dermatology – Mountain Brook, Tonya Jones SalonSpa

SHOPPING & SERVICES BEST NEW BUSINESS (OPEN ONE YEAR OR LESS) Frida’s Cocina & Cantina 2301 Cahaba Rd. Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-201-4822 Runners Up: Surf Hound, Basecoat at Lane Parke BEST ANIMAL CLINIC Crestline Pet Care PC 253 Country Club Pk. Mountain Brook, AL 35213 205-582-2013 Runners Up: Village Pet Care P.C., Dr. Kris’s Mobile Vet Clinic

66 Summer 2025

BEST GROOMER AND BEST PET CARE Happy Dog Baths & Grooming

Crestline LAH Sotheby’s International Realty - Crestline Office 10 Dexter Avenue | 205.588.8474 | lahsothebysrealty.com

Elevating Your Real Estate Experience

MountainBrookMagazine.com 67

BEST COFFEE Church Street Coffee & Books

BEST GROOMER

BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE

Happy Dog Baths & Grooming 208 Country Club Pk. Mountain Brook, AL 35213 205-490-1798

Village Dermatology – Mountain Brook 2900 Cahaba Rd. Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-877-9773

Runners Up: Scenthound, Village Pet Grooming & Boutique BEST PET CARE Happy Dog Baths & Grooming 208 Country Club Pk. Mountain Brook, AL 35213 205-490-1798 Runners Up: Village Pet Grooming & Boutique, Crestline Pet Care PC BEST BOUTIQUE Heezie’s 81 Church St., Suite 101 Mountain Brook, AL 35213 205-874-6278 Runners Up: Le Weekend, Pants Store – Crestline

68 Summer 2025

Runners Up: Guin Service, LLC; Mountain Brook Eye Care BEST DANCE/GYMNASTICS STUDIO Steeple Arts Academy of Dance 36 Church St. Mountain Brook, AL 35213 205-871-5893 Runners Up: Linda Dobbins Dance, Mountain Brook Gymnastics BEST DRY CLEANER Champion Cleaners – Mountain Brook 42 Church St. Mountain Brook, AL 35213 205-871-2962

Runners Up: Vogue Cleaners, Utopia Cleaners & Laundry BEST FLORIST/GARDEN SHOP Leaf & Petal 2817 Cahaba Rd., Suite 2322 Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-871-3832 Runners Up: Oak Street Garden Shop, Mountain Brook Flower Shop, Inc. BEST GIFT SHOP Heezie’s 81 Church St., Suite 101 Mountain Brook, AL 35213 205-874-6278 Runners Up: Smith’s Variety, Bromberg’s

BEST JEWELRY STORE Shalla Wista Studio 81 Church St., Suite 105 Mountain Brook, AL 35213 205-835-8514 Runners Up: Bromberg’s, Barton-Clay Fine Jewelers BEST KIDS CLOTHING STORE Once Upon a Time – Crestline 70 Church St. Mountain Brook, AL 35213 205-870-7772 Runners Up: Children’s Edit, Little Lavender LLC BEST SPECIALTY STORE Village Dermatology – Mountain Brook 2900 Cahaba Rd. Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-877-9773 Runners Up: Snoozy’s Kids, Heezie’s

BEST STORE FOR HOME FURNISHINGS/DÉCOR/ KITCHENS Heezie’s 81 Church St., Suite 101 Mountain Brook, AL 35213 205-874-6278 Runners Up: A’Mano, The Cook Store of Mountain Brook BEST TOY STORE Snoozy’s Kids 228 Country Club Pkwy.

Mountain Brook, AL 35213 205-871-2662 Runners Up: Smith’s Variety, Swoop BEST CHILDCARE Mountain Brook Baptist Church 3631 Montevallo Rd. Mountain Brook, AL 35213 205-871-0331 Runners Up: Canterbury United Methodist Church, Preschool Partners

BEST BOUTIQUE, BEST GIFT SHOP AND BEST STORE FOR HOME FURNISHINGS/DÉCOR/KITCHENS Heezie’s

MountainBrookMagazine.com 69

BEST NAIL SALON Basecoat at Lane Parke

BEST HAIR SALON Laura Lane Salon 2839 Cahaba Rd. Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-825-7661 Runners Up: Oak Street Hair Group, Inc.; Tonya Jones SalonSpa BEST HAIR STYLIST Darrah Horsley – Wildflower Salon 2816 Culver Rd. Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-379-8275 Runners Up: Amanda Boyd – Oak Street Hair Group, Inc.; Tonya Jones – Tonya Jones SalonSpa BEST NAIL SALON Basecoat at Lane Parke 911 Jemison Ln. Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-848-2100 Runners Up: Jimmy’s Nails, Canterbury Nails BEST LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHER MaryBlan Moore Photography maryblanmoore.com Runners Up: Image Arts, Whitney Carr Photography BEST ATTORNEY Jessica Drennan – Kirk Drennan Law 500 Office Park Dr., Suite 100 Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-803-3500 Runners Up: S. Brett Holsombeck – Wilson Elser, Derek Drennan – Kirk Drennan Law BEST LAW FIRM Kirk Drennan Law 500 Office Park Dr., Suite 100 Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-803-3500 Runners Up: The Law Office of Albert Moore, Samuel B. “Bo” Haugabook – SBH Law Office BEST BANK OR CREDIT UNION Oakworth Capital Bank 850 Shades Creek Pkwy.

Birmingham, AL 35209 205-263-4700 Runners Up: First Horizon Bank, Valley Bank

70 Summer 2025

BEST LOCAL REAL ESTATE AGENT Jake Callahan – Ray & Poynor Properties

BEST FINANCIAL ADVISING GROUP The Welch Group, LLC 3940 Montclair Rd. Birmingham, AL 35213 205-879-5001 Runners Up: Oakworth Capital Bank, McClellan Wealth Management BEST FINANCIAL ADVISOR Greta Sandy – The Welch Group, LLC 3940 Montclair Rd. Birmingham, AL 35213 205-879-5001 Runners Up: Foster Hyde – The Welch Group, LLC; Jay Higginbotham – Merrill Lynch Wealth Management BEST LOCAL INSURANCE AGENCY CAC Agency/Cobbs Allen 115 Office Park Dr., Suite 200 Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-414-8100 Runners Up: Bates, Roberts, Fowlkes & Jackson Insurance, Amy Smith Gardner – State Farm Insurance

MountainBrookMagazine.com 71

BEST LOCAL INSURANCE AGENT Margaret Ann Pyburn CAC Agency/Cobbs Allen 115 Office Park Dr., Suite 200 Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-414-8100 Runners Up: Larkin Williams – Byars Wright, Whitney Mork – State Farm Insurance BEST LOCAL REAL ESTATE AGENCY LAH Sotheby’s International Realty – Crestline 10 Dexter Ave. Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-588-8474 Runners Up: Ray & Poynor Properties, RealtySouth – Crestline BEST LOCAL REAL ESTATE AGENT Jake Callahan – Ray & Poynor Properties 600 Olde English Ln., Suite 124 Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-447-7724 Runners Up: Betsy French- Ray & Poynor Properties, Scott Boudreaux – LAH Sotheby’s International Realty Crestline BEST LOCAL REAL ESTATE TEAM The Fred Smith Group – RealtySouth 105 Euclid Ave. Birmingham, AL 35213 205-879-6330 Runners Up: Ager Burkhart Healey Team – LAH Sotheby’s International Realty Crestline, Scott Boudreaux Group – LAH Sotheby’s International Realty Crestline

BEST MORTGAGE GROUP Adam Snable – Guild Mortgage

BEST MORTGAGE GROUP

BEST HVAC SERVICE

BEST PLUMBING SERVICE

Adam Snable – Guild Mortgage 2700 U.S. 280, Suite 290 East Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-370-9231

Guin Service, LLC 2880 Crestwood Blvd.

Irondale, AL 35210 205-595-4846

Guin Service, LLC 2880 Crestwood Blvd.

Irondale, AL 35210 205-595-4846

Runners Up: Method Mortgage, Bay Mortgage Corporation

Runners Up: Iron City Heating and Air, LLC; Standard Heating, Cooling & Plumbing

Runners Up: Sentry Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing & Electrical; Standard Heating, Cooling & Plumbing

BEST INTERIOR DESIGNER Ellie Christopher – Ellie Christopher Interior Design elliechristopher.com Runners Up: Mary Lauren McBride – Mary McBride Interiors, Dana Wolter – Dana Wolter Interiors, LLC

BEST ELECTRICAL SERVICE Sentry Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing & Electrical Serving Jefferson and Shelby Counties sentryheating.com Runners Up: ELI Services, Shepherd Electric Company

72 Summer 2025

BEST PEST CONTROL Birmingham Pest & Mosquito Control 800 Shades Creek Pl., Suite 450 Mountain Brook, AL 35223 205-202-9374 Runners Up: Athena Pest Control, Mosquito Marshals of Birmingham

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2839 Cahaba Road, Mountain Brook Village • 205.825.7661 book your luxury experience today! • lauralanesalon.com MountainBrookMagazine.com 73

Outside the City Exploring New York State

Looking to escape the heat of an Alabama summer? Wanting to get away from the tourists crowding the Florida beaches? Consider heading up north to the quiet atmosphere of New York State. From the breezy coast to the tranquil lakes to the mighty falls, New York has a lot to explore outside the city.

By Kate Seaver | Photos by Discover Long Island, Niagara Falls Canada, Niagara Falls USA, Visit Finger Lakes & Contributed by Inlet Seafood Dock & Restaurant (Facebook) 74 Summer 2025

MountainBrookMagazine.com 75

HIT THE ROAD

NIAGARA FALLS The unofficial “eighth wonder of the world,” Niagara Falls provides a cool escape from the typical southern summer. Renowned for its beauty, it pushes more than 2,000 tons of water over the falls every second. Carve out time during your vacation to explore the falls’ natural serenity and enjoy the breezy summer weather.

WHERE TO STAY

Stay in the famous Oakes Hotel Overlooking the Falls to see the view from your bedroom window. You’ll see the unobstructed vantage point when you open your eyes in the morning! On the Canadian side, Old Stone Inn is a historic, boutique hotel with dining options ranging from cabins to domes, so you can eat in a cozy, rustic atmosphere. The Inn has a wine bar open Thursday through Sunday and also has a dog-friendly policy.

Old Stone Inn

76 Summer 2025

WHAT TO DO

For your daytime excursions, make sure to hit the Maid of the Mist boat tours to see the falls from down in the water! Descend into the gorge, and feel the mist on your skin from the wooden walkways with the Cave of the Winds experience. Another popular attraction is the Seneca Niagara Casino with popular live entertainment. Less than a 30 minute-drive away, the city of Buffalo has more dining options and urban activities.

Make sure to bring your passports to see the view from the Canadian side, too!

In Ontario, Niagara Falls offers more hot spots such as Skylon Tower Revolving Restaurant, Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens and WildPlay Zipline to the Falls.

WHERE TO EAT

The Top of the Falls restaurant is the only local dining spot where you can take in the sights while enjoying dinner! This restaurant serves locally-made food and beverages rich in modern American cuisine alongside several classic dishes.

MountainBrookMagazine.com 77

HIT THE ROAD

THE FINGER LAKES While touring your way through the beautiful state of New York, catch some R&R at the tranquil Finger Lakes. Located a few hours east of Niagara Falls, you’ll find this region is known for its ample wineries and vineyards, sporting beautiful outdoor views. The Finger Lakes, referred to locally as FLX, have mild summers with daily temperatures reaching a balmy 70-to-80 degrees Fahrenheit, cooling down in the evenings.

WHERE TO STAY

The area around these glacial lakes is full of historic inns and bed-and-breakfasts that will transport you to the earlier days of the United States. A few popular selections include William Smith Inn—a B&B in the home that once belonged to historical figure William Smith. The Lake House on Canandaigua is a lakefront resort featuring multiple, luxury restaurants and lake-facing balconies that feel like grandma’s front porch. Geneva on the Lake, a stately villa built in the style of Italian Renaissance architecture, hosts multiple restaurants of its own and is a short drive from Geneva’s historic district. Belhurst Castle, built between 1885-1889, has it all: a riveting history, a winery, fine dining and a salon with a spa.

Belhurst Castle

WHAT TO DO

Activities common for this region are equally easygoing.

Stroll along the waterfront walking path at Seneca Lake State Park, or get into the lakes via kayak for an easy trip riding the current. Rent a pontoon for a day with Finger Lakes Boat Rentals, or set off kayaking or paddleboarding with Seneca Lake Kayak. Cruise along the Canandaigua Lady, a paddlewheel steamboat offering lake tours and meals from May through October each year.

Of course, a visit to the largest wine region in New York would be incomplete without a tasting and a visit to a vineyard! Canandaigua Lake Wine Trail features seven different wineries. Purchase the digital passport for perks and discounts at the different locations on the trail.

Pay a visit to Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery, which is located in a historic home overlooking Keuka Lake, and celebrate the pioneer of the Finger Lakes wine industry.

Red Newt Cellars hosts a hearty, sit-down lunch on the weekends to pair with your tasting. Buttonwood Grove Winery features live music on the porch on Saturdays during the summer and even has on-site cabins for an overnight stay.

WHERE TO EAT

Get out and see more of the region—have dinner at F.L.X. Table for an intimate dinner party atmosphere.

Named “Best New Restaurant” in the nation by “USA Today” in 2017, this restaurant is reservation-only, and the bookings are released two months in advance.

Roots Cafe features live music at its farm-to-table restaurant. Reservations here are highly recommended, and they serve meals for lunch and dinner Thursday through Saturday, as well as Sunday brunch.

78 Summer 2025

MONTAUK Known as the quieter, more authentic side of the Hamptons, Montauk provides a laidback, coastal experience that really embodies what it means to “vacation.” Visit this charming hamlet for the smalltown atmosphere, and enjoy the slow, luxurious life of the East Coast.

WHERE TO STAY

For a European feel, stay in the stately Montauk Manor. This historic, castle-like accommodation creates an experience like no other. This hotel offers full amenities including sunset yoga on the lawn and tennis courts.

The classic Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa offers oceanfront rooms and amenities including a private beach, spa and bathhouse. Choose between rooms, cottages and residential-style accommodations.

WHAT TO DO

To get a taste of the rustic, slow-living that Montauk embraces, take your family horseback riding at Deep Hollow Ranch. The ranch provides rides for all ages, and everyone 8 years old and older can participate in the beach rides. For the safety of the horses, there is a weight limit of 240 pounds.

Don’t miss the classic Montauk Point Lighthouse, which was originally commissioned by President George Washington and is the fourth-oldest working lighthouse in the United States. Admission is $15 for adults or $5 for children under 12.

Every Thursday during the summer season, the Montauk Farmers Market hosts more than 40 vendors selling everything from flowers to fresh produce! Swing by to take home a locally made souvenir.

Ditch Plains Beach is a popular public beach with scenic views of the cliffs. Enjoy a sunset stroll, and bring along your dog for some exercise.

WHERE TO EAT

When staying on the coast, it would be a crime not to partake in fresh seafood on the water.

Inlet Seafood Dock & Restaurant will serve up its famous tuna nachos while you enjoy the sunset views and the full-service bar. On Sundays after 4 p.m., kids eat free! Gosman’s Restaurant has been serving fresh seafood to the Montauk community since 1951.

Harvest on Fort Pond serves Montauk Italian fare and creative garden cocktails, too.

Inlet Seafood Dock & Restaurant

MountainBrookMagazine.com 79

Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce C O N N E C T I O N S

Ribbon Cuttings

New Member Spotlight

Sol Y Luna 5th Anniversary

Residence Inn Homewood/Mountain Brook

Alabama Pressure Washing Flint Construction Clean Cajun Cookin Birmingham Legion FC

Le Weekend Studio

Over the Mountain Dentistry

Alabama Dermatology and Rejuvenation Center

McCorquodale Transfer Fairway Residence Inn Homewood/ Mountain Brook DDS Solutions

PreSchool Partners 30th Anniversary

Vestavia Hills Methodist Church Alexander Counseling Services Libby’s Friends Laura Lane Salon Higher Roof Solutions M. Cory Next Generation Estate Sales

Now Accepting Village Gold

Market Mountain Brook Gane Edwards Unique Event Elements Children’s Edit

Little Lavender | Daughters Baking | Heezie’s | M.Cory

Rant n Rave

You can purchase Village Gold at www.mtnbrookchamber.org!

101 HOYT LANE 80 Summer 2025

MTN. BROOK, ALABAMA 35213

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The 2025 Publix Village2Village Run had an overwhelming response in participation this year with almost 600 runners and visitors at the event from 10 different states. The Mountain Brook Chamber is so proud of how this event attracts new people to our area and brings our community together.

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Join Today Chamber Membership is a great way for businesses and individuals to support the community and get involved!

Join today by scanning the QR code.

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OUT & ABOUT

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MOUNTAIN BROOK CHAMBER LUNCHEON

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PHOTOS BY ANNA GRACE MOORE

On Wednesday, Jan. 29 at the Country Club of Birmingham, the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce held its annual luncheon, honoring the William Tynes Award recipient Patsy Dreher; the Employee of the Year Awardee Lindsy Gardner; and the Jemison Visionary Award winner Virginia Smith.

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Pasty Dreher, Virginia Smith and Lindsy Gardner

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Abigail Bradford and Shelby Weir

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Telra Rocker and Emily Breaseale

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Abby Funderburk and James Gannon

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Susan Dulin and Bill Meadows

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Josh Green and Shelia Simpson

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Courtenay Bloodworth, Evie Taylor, Hollins Rush, Davis Couch, Elise Carr and Todd Cox

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Gail Braswell and Anne Marie Brown

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Regions Bank Staff

10. John Bullock and Megan Thomas 11. Julia Doster and Lori Dixon

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On Saturday, Feb. 22 at Crestline Elementary School, Mountain Brook Junior High students spoke about their life challenges and lessons learned, educating audience members on the power of hope during hardships.

Keynote speaker and Mountain Brook High School student Lulu Gribbin spoke about surviving a horrific shark attack in June 2024 and how hope has aided her recovery.

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Elise Lamkin, Caty Van Ball and Ingram Davis

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Hampton and Jennifer Doobrow

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Brook Gibbons, Hampton Doobrow, Laura Centeno and Donald Clayton

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Thomas Moak, Noah Cribbs, Will Eagan and Luke Cribbs

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Susie Goodrich, Cara Speegle, Katherine Miles, Emma Powell, Parker Simpson, Murfee Wooten, June Record and Cate Drennen

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Parker Simpson, Donald Clayton and Murfee Wooten

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Claire Allendorf, Sydney Pitner and Kaitlyn Jansen

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Donald Clayton, Elise Lamkin, Ingram Davis and Caty Van Ball

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John Montgomery, Becker Menendez, Luke Cribbs, Reese Horner, Brice Blackmon, Will Eagan, Thomas Moak, Jack Peterson and Colin Stewart

10. Bethany Yin, Sam Eagan, Emmy Grace Cribbs and Sophie Hicks 11. David, Jennifer and Samuel Pollock with Natalia Strickland 12. Thomas Moak, Jack Rich, Elliott Gechijian, Jack Peterson, Laura Centeno, Reese Horner, Becker Menendez, John Montgomery and Luke Cribbs

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A “CAYMUS VINEYARDS” WINE TASTING

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José Montalvo and Michael Wilson co-hosted a wine tasting event at Habitat Feed & Social, featuring a five-course meal and a variety of white and red blends from Caymus Vineyards to celebrate the vineyards’ 50th anniversary on Friday, March 7.

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Jennifer and Enver Gaines

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Michael Kelly and Molly Helms

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José Montalvo and Michael Wilson

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Farley Morris and Coe Taylor

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Patrick and Nancy Penque

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Michael Wilson and Andrew Patterson

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José Montalvo

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Rob and Todd Marsh

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CRESTLINE SPIRIT DAY PHOTOS BY KELSEA SCHAFER

On Wednesday, March 12, Lane Parke retailers held an all-day fundraiser in which retailers including Ladybird Taco, Sol Y Luna, Crumbl, Buff City Soap, Tasc and Chop N Fresh donated a portion of their proceeds to Crestline Elementary School.

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Charlotte, Elizabeth, Grace, Forrest, Patrick, Robert and Clinton

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Kate, Patrick, Forrest and Grace

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Melissa and Brenda

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Meg, Elizabeth and Charlotte Cherry

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Frances Butler and Joan Underwood

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Simmons, Chambers, Thornton, Hill and Adrian

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2025 SPRING e.com ookMagazin MountainBr | Issue One Volume Nine $4.95

Visit MountainBrookMagazine.com or call 205-669-3131 to subscribe for $14.95 plus tax (4 issues) a year.

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Animal Hospital, Veterinary Care, Boarding & Grooming 2810 19th Place South, Homewood, AL 35209 StandiferAnimalClinic.com MountainBrookMagazine.com 87

OUT & ABOUT

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WORLD POLICE AND FIRE GAMES MEDIA NIGHT

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PHOTOS BY ANNA GRACE MOORE

Mountain Brook police officers partnered with surrounding cities’ police and fire departments to promote the World Police and Fire Games during a touch-a-truck event on Wednesday, March 10 at Chick-fil-A Eastwood Village.

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Daniel Ray, Zyla Adams McLemore, Aryanna Ellis and Firefighter Ammons

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Shelia Kent and Alli McGill

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Foxx Peoples

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Susan Goodwin and Sue Miles

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James Price, Firefighter Ammons, Parker Price and Jackson Pardue

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Jennifer Coco and Hayley Winter

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Renee Gardner, Cory Moon and LaQuenta Kendrick

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Kenneth Cox and Ashley Waters

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Alli McGill, Logan Jacob, Gabe Schnittker, Courtney George, Shelia Kent, Steven Tricarico, Blake Savege, Andrew Harris and Caleb Marsh

10. Trenton Covington, Will Pearson and Dana Sartalamacchia 11. Tyriynanna

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PUBLIX VILLAGE2VILLAGE 10K/7.5K

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On Saturday, March 8, the Publix Village2Village 10K/7.5K started and finished at the Grand Bohemian Hotel Mountain Brook with routes wrapping through scenic Mountain Brook villages. Proceeds benefited the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce, who held an awards ceremony and after party in Lane Parke, featuring vendor booths, a kids’ zone, photo opportunities and more.

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Lori Koss and Christy McDougal

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Derrick and Olivia Gooden

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Amal Ezell

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Katie Ivey, Anna Blake Lowe and Kendall Garrett

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The Creekman and Herring families

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Jen and Samantha Criss with Jonathan Baldwin

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Trey Gordon and Anna Hayes

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William Spanier and Andrew Fowler

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MK Dudley and MK Tedder

10. Aubree Lagunas and Yazmin Arroyo 11. Beck Wilkes, Javier Nishikawa and Leopold Nkengbeza 12. Jack Callahan and Madeline Blahnik 13. Mieke Hemsteret, Sophia Lal and Jennifer Brown with Ryan and Karen Mills 14. Richard Lipham and Jake Kiser 15. Shelby Weir, Lizzie Maymon and Abigail Bradford 16. Niki Marsch and Kalai Livingston 17. Griffith Register 18. Sam Kennedy and Abbey Hudson 19. Kim Benner and Lori Coward

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PUBLIX VILLAGE2VILLAGE 10K/7.5K CONT.

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PHOTOS BY ANNA GRACE MOORE

On Saturday, March 8, the Publix Village2Village 10K/7.5K started and finished at the Grand Bohemian Hotel Mountain Brook with routes wrapping through scenic Mountain Brook villages. Proceeds benefited the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce, who held an awards ceremony and after party in Lane Parke, featuring vendor booths, a kids’ zone, photo opportunities and more.

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20. Mia Serres and Erin Wilbur 21. Andrea Shammas 22. John Hargrove and Mory Sanoh 23. Alexander Williams, Trey Meadows, Niles Cook and Sean Skinner 24. Emily and Molly Davis 25. Webb Hawley, Clayton Collins and Walt Johnson 26. Marc, Eric and Carole Schaefer 27. The Schrimsher family

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MARKETPLACE

Marketplace Mountain Brook Magazine • 205.669.3131

Automation Personnel Services Hiring IMMEDIATELY For: Automotive Assembly, General Labor, Production, Clerical, Machine Operator, Quality, Carpentry, Welder, Foundry.

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

Walk-in applications accepted.

Clanton (205)280-0002.

Pelham (205)444-9774.

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

CDL Preferred.

Competitive Pay. Great Benefits.

Apply in person: 2180 Hwy 87 Alabaster, 35007 Now Hiring For Utility Positions Starting pay $15.14/ hour Must be able to pass background screen.

Please apply at: www.bc.com

Central Alabma Wellness Mental Health Services Office locations in Calera, Clanton, Pelham, and 280! 205-651-0077 Visit our website to learn more centralalbamawellness. org Shelby County Schools Substitute Teachers Limitless opportunities for passionate people! • Free pre-hire training •

94 Summer 2025

Paid orientation • Ongoing professional development • Steady, yet flexible, work • Weekly pay • Your preference of schools Contact Anne Gamble: O: 205.682.7062 M: 205.532.1122 anne.gamble@ kellyservices.com Marble Valley Manor.

Affordable 1 and 2 Bedroom Apartments for Elderly & Disabled.

Many on-site services!

2115 Motes Rd, Sylacauga.

256-245-6500 •TDD#s: 800-548-2547(V) •800-548-2546(T/A).

Office Hours: Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm.

Equal Opportunity Provider/Employer Security Guard for Gated Community in North Shelby County Full-time or Part-time.

Must have pistol permit.

Call Brittany 205-991-4653 University Baptist CDC Pre-K In Montevallo NOW HIRING Lead Teachers for First Class 4 Pre-K program.

Long Term substitute for spring semester and maternity leave substitute April-May. Lead Teacher subs must have a bachelor degree in Early Childhood Education/Development.

Experience in First Class program and Bilingual

MountainBrookMagazine.com

skills a plus.

For questions or resumes, contact Lorrie Ozley: universitybaptistcdc@ gamil.com Preschool pre-registration for 2025-2026 school year January 15-March prek.alaceed.alabama. gov Become a Dental Assistant in ONLY 8 WEEKS! Please visit our website capstonedentalassisting. com or call (205)561-8118 and get your career started!

ETS Restorations & Tree Service “From street to walls, we do it all” • Retaining Walls • Concrete Work • Demolition • Landscaping • Tree Removal • Tree Trimming • Bobcat Work • Hardscapes • Hauling FREE ESTIMATES!!!

CALL NOW (205)209-7787 (205)683-3257 Breakpoint Manager – positions offered by Autocar, LLC (Center Point, AL). Understand eng design & specified auto parts, & work w/ both Planning & Purchasing on best time operationally & financially to change suppliers, parts, or both.

Submit resume to legalcompliance@ gvwgroup.com.

AUTOMATION L2 SPECIALIST Danieli Taranis LLC (Chelsea, AL) to be rspns. for dvlpng, cmmsng, prvdng rmte spprt, & trnng rel to L2 autmtn sys; prfrmng startup & cmnng of dedicatd mchnes/aggrgte accrdng to rel tchncl dcmnttn; prfrmng intrnl tstng of apps; drwng up & prprng oprtr mnuals; prfrmng hrdwre instlltn, elctrcl & ntwrk cnnctns, & autmtn intrcnnctns chckup; instllng & cnfgrng sys sftwre & dbas; intgrtng a combo of prgrmng mdles dvlpd w/ mxd lang envrnmnts; prfrmng Lvl2 srvr bckgrnd srvcs & Lvl2 clnts (OWS/PWS/TWS) apps instlltn; & prfrmng Lvl2 autmtn sys cold & hot tst. Master in Eng, CompSci or rel w/ 3 yrs of prior wrk exp in pos off or rel w/ DCACom PLC driver; DCADispatcher mssge brokr; Delphi prgrmng lbrry; DACI frnt-end WPF C# prgrmng lbrry; & DASI C# prgrmng lbrry. Mst knw (thru acdmc trnng or wrk exp) Orcle, SQLite & MS Access dba mngmnt sys; Telerik UI for WPF; & SAP Crystal Rprts & Rprt Viewer rprtng pltfrms.

Resumes to c.hegarty@danieli.com Multiple Full-time positions for Personal Care Aides in BIRMINGHAM, AL is immediately available.

Provide personalized assistance to individuals

with disabilities or illness who require help with personal care and activities of daily living support (e.g., feeding, bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, and ambulation). May also provide help with tasks such as preparing meals, doing light housekeeping, and doing laundry. No Minimum Requirement.

Send Resume to: Dan Pahos, Owner, Home Instead, 2059 Columbiana Rd., Birmingham AL 35216 Now Hiring! Termite Treaters and Inspectors Work with a great local company, in business for over 50 years. BC/ BS insurance, 401k, opportunities available.

No experience required Must have a good driving record and be able to pass drug screen. Email to facsmith@charter.net or call 205-369-6250 Vulcan Termite and Pest Control Wanted Maintenance/ Handyman to assist with vehicle and land upkeep.

Must pass background & drug test, have reliable transportation, be able to drive a manual transmission and be willing to work.

Apply in person at 115 Commerce Drive Pelham, AL 35124 Vulcan Termite and Pest Control

fredsmithgroup.com

THE FRED SMITH GROUP MOUNTAIN BROOK’S BEST REAL ESTATE GROUP Since 1995, our team has proudly represented buyers and sellers across the area, closing on well over 5000 properties. What sets us apart is simple: Teamwork. Experienced agents, marketing experts, and dedicated listing and closing coordinators uniquely position The Fred Smith Group to deliver the highest quality service in the Birmingham area. Our team has the Magic City covered!

We believe in marketing beyond the sign. Our aggressive strategy ensures your home is priced effectively from day one and reaches the right audience. Whether you are buying OR selling, we will go the extra mile- constantly researching market trends and property values to help you achieve your real estate goals. After just one meeting with us, you’ll have a clear, customized plan outlining the exact steps we’ll take to find you the perfect home or to sell your current home for the most money in the least amount of time.

From pricing and marketing to negotiations- we’ve got you covered. With RealtySouth’s trusted brand backing us, we serve you throughout your buying or selling journey.

Our clients know they can rely on us for expert advice, quick results, and a seamless experience.

Our reputation is built on results, trust, and a commitment to excellence.

You can count on The Fred Smith Group – for every move you make!

MY MOUNTAIN BROOK DR. JENNY SOBERA Owner of Village Dermatology

Eat Local

La Paz and Brick & Tin I love the chicken tortilla soup from La Paz. Whenever we decide to get takeout, my family knows that is my likely choice. I always pair it with the restaurant’s chips and green salsa—yum! I also love the Bluebird Salad from Brick & Tin. That is always a fun place for me to go eat because that building was Village Dermatology’s original location!

Sentimental Spots

Crestline Field Watching little league football games at Crestline Field will always be some of my favorite memories! My boys are older now, but my oldest coached a little league team this year. Being back on that field brought back some nostalgia.

Fellowship in Community

Mystics of Mountain Brook There’s no event quite like the Mystics of Mountain Brook Parade—it always makes me feel as though I live in the best city on Earth. My daughter’s birthday is on Halloween, so that makes it extra fun.

Mountain Brook Appreciation

A Generational Community I moved to Mountain Brook in seventh grade, so I have a long history of living here. My kids have all been in the school system, and my business, Village Dermatology, has been in Mountain Brook for more than 16 years. We are incredibly blessed with a community that has amazing public schools, top-notch businesses and beautiful surroundings. In my almost 40 years of being a Mountain Brook resident, I have seen progress while preserving what makes our community so special.

Get Outdoors

Leaf & Petal Strolling around Leaf & Petal is perfect for a tranquil afternoon. I admire plants and flowers, and I’m always looking for something I may not already have in my collection. I never leave without finding a perfect new addition for my garden. I also love being in my greenhouse!

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