By Rubin E. Grant Sonny DiChiara’s senior baseball season didn’t end with another state championship, but it was satisfying, nonetheless. “It was really a more relaxed year, coming off a state championship,” DiChiara said. “I played loose and was having fun with it.” For DiChiara, having fun equaled a productive season as a first baseman and pitcher. At the plate, He … [Read more...]
Collector Turned Curator: Over the Mountain Man Showed Collection of Ancient Middle Eastern Artifacts
By Sarah Kuper A priest, a rabbi and a Syrian Aramaic Christian. It might sound like the beginning of a cliché joke, but for Bronx native Nathan Salant, these individuals are responsible for encouraging his passion for collecting pre-Biblical, Biblical and post-Biblical antiquities. Salant has lived in the Over the Mountain area for more than 20 years, but it is his … [Read more...]
The Constant Gardener: Eddie Aldridge Has Made the World a Little More Beautiful
By Donna CorneliusEddie Aldridge was on a tour bus heading into Canada’s famous Butchart Gardens several years ago when he gave his fellow passengers a bit of a jolt."I started screaming because there at the entrance to the gardens were our plants," he said, smiling at the memory. The plants that so delighted him were Snowflake hydrangeas. … [Read more...]
Low and Slow: Restaurateur Brings Texas BBQ to Mountain Brook – and Plans New Edgewood Eatery
By Donna CorneliusDebates about which state has the best barbecue can get heated in a hurry. But a Mountain Brook restaurant that opened in March puts forth a pretty tasty case for Texas.“In Alabama, barbecue is more focused on ribs and pork,” said Tom Sheffer, owner of Icehouse Texas BBQ on Culver Road. “In Kentucky, where I’m from, it’s more mutton and … [Read more...]
It’s Two in a Row as Mountain Brook Golfers Capture State Title
By Blake EllsMountain Brook shot a 13-under 275 in round two of the 80th annual Alabama High School Athletic Association State Golf Championships to finish 32 strokes under par with a team total 544, securing their second consecutive Class 7A boys title over rival Spain Park.The Jaguars were the last school not named Mountain Brook to win the title – … [Read more...]