By Emily Williams Just as her platform reads, there is “More Than Meets the Eye” when it comes to 2019 Miss Tennessee Valley Outstanding Teen Marissa Luna. A bit of a newcomer to the pageant world, 14-year old Mountain Brook resident Luna and her mother, Misty Chitwood, had no idea that she would be earning a crown when she took the stage at the Miss Tennessee Valley … [Read more...]
The Juniors Have It on Mountain Brook’s Volleyball Squad
By Blake Ells Just one senior – Libby Grace Gann – departed Mountain Brook last season, and this year, the Spartans’ volleyball team will have none. But a large junior class is moving in to help the Spartans surpass last year’s season, in which the team fell in the state semifinals to McGill-Toolen 3-0. “Every day we come in, we know how last year ended,” said junior setter … [Read more...]
Manhattan Melodies: Homewood Band Gears up for 40th Anniversary Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Performance
By Ingrid Schnader At 412 members, the largest band in Alabama calls an Over the Mountain community home. It’s the most-seen high school band in the South, and it has performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade more than any other high school band in the country — the Homewood Patriot Band. Band director Ron Pence is gearing up for the band’s ninth performance at the … [Read more...]
Investing in the Indaba: 2018 ZooGala Pitch Zoo as Community Investment
By Emily Williams In southern Africa, a gathering or meeting often is called an indaba. Originally a term for a political conference between tribes, some of the largest indabas in southern Africa today range from conferences for tax professionals to cultural and tourism gatherings. Throughout its existence, the Birmingham Zoo has been a place for children young and old to … [Read more...]
Football Has Long Been a Part of Renowned Artist Skipper’s Life
By Rubin E. Grant Internationally renowned artist Steve Skipper was once a standout high school football player. Skipper played linebacker for the Homewood Patriots in the mid-1970s, starting his junior and senior seasons. He patterned his game after two of the NFL’s most vicious hitters, Jack Lambert of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dick Butkus of the Chicago Bears. “I was … [Read more...]