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...]
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...]
Freedom from Addiction: OTM Mayors Band Together to Fight Opioid Abuse
By William C. Singleton III As a retired FBI agent, Vestavia Hills Mayor Ashley Curry has seen the fate of drug dealers who enter the criminal justice system. As general manager of a funeral home, Homewood Mayor Scott McBrayer has seen the ultimate consequences of drug use. As a former fire marshal, Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato has seen emergency paramedics respond to an … [Read more...]
In Memory: Support Our Soldiers Dinner Will Fund Care Packages for Troops Abroad
*An article in the May 17 edition of the Over the Mountain Journal, "In Memory: Support Our Soldiers Dinner Will Fund Care Packages for Troops Abroad," has the wrong photo for Marine Lance Cpl. Thomas Rivers Jr. The photo printed was of the late Ryan Winslow of Hoover, who was killed while serving in Iraq in 2006.Just more than one year after their son Marine Lance … [Read more...]
A Garden Fit for a King or a Commoner Local Garden Designer Highlights Parterre Gardens
By Sarah Kuper With the Royal wedding approaching, monarchy admirers are turning an eye to all things regal, including elegant homes and gardens. But, when it comes to gardening like a sovereign, garden designer and planner Troy Rhone said royals really are just like us. The parterre garden concept is hundreds of years old, and the look can call to mind the gardens of … [Read more...]