By Rubin E. GrantOne week into the new year, the Homewood girls basketball team already had surpassed the number of wins it had in Gavin King’s first season as the Patriots’ head coach.King guided the Patriots to a 17-13 record last season, but after three blowout wins last week, Homewood’s record stood at 18-4.“We are definitely improved,” King said. “We are better … [Read more...]
Home Made: Family-Tested Menu Drives Diners to Helen
By Anne RuisiOpen the menu at Helen, Emily and Rob McDaniel’s downtown Birmingham restaurant, and you’re likely going to see items that are literally family-approved. Creamer peas and middlins, a type of heirloom rice grown in South Carolina, is a dish he created with help from his staff but tested on his family at their Vestavia Hills home. It’s served with a … [Read more...]
Like Mother, Like Daughter: ROAR to Honor Marilyn Waggoner at Gala
By Anne RuisiSurgery was about the only option available in the 1970s when Marilyn Mitchell Waggoner’s mother was diagnosed with colon cancer. Initially it was successful. For almost five years the procedure kept the cancer at bay, but it returned and eventually Waggoner’s mother passed away.“We didn’t then have the benefit of knowledge that we do now” to fight … [Read more...]
Take a Ride: New Downhill Mountain Biking Park Receiving Rave Reviews
By Rubin E. GrantNathan Matteo was thrilled when he found out a new downhill mountain biking park would be opening virtually in his backyard.Matteo has been an avid mountain biker for five years, and the 14-year-old youngster who lives in Vestavia Hills has ridden trails in Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina and has raced on courses at Oak Mountain and Tannehill … [Read more...]
A New Path: Jemison Trail to Get $2.7 Million in Updates
By Anne RuisiImprovements are coming to Jemison Trail, including replacing the concrete walkways with asphalt, widening those paths and rerouting sections of the walkway along Shades Creek that tend to flood, a city official said. Cost of the $2.7 million project is being shared by the city of Mountain Brook and the Friends of Jemison Park, said Shanda Williams, … [Read more...]